Clint Mathis was the man that helped to change this fan's expectations of the Metros as a team. Clint, I won't soon forget, that when you were brought to NJ, we had such soccer luminaries as Hurtado, Kelley, Comas (Ugggh), Curcic, Villegas, Valencia, etc..... They all showed a spark that sometimes lasted one match, sometimes two. You brought with you an outrageous desire to win and you helped transform the team. You upped the level of our expectations. With Clint Mathis on our team, we felt that a championship was possible. We all know it did not turn out that way. Still, you provided my family and friends with many thrilling soccer moments. Your assist vs Mexico in WCQ at Crew Stadium, your goal vs South Korea in WC '02, your 5 goal game vs Dallas will be replayed over and over on many a VCR and DVD player for years to come. There are alot of people that will concentrate on the things that didn't work during your stay as a Metrostar. To he!! with them. I want to thank you for raising the level of my interest in the game of soccer and the Metrostars as a team. I hope that you are able to attain much of what you set out to accomplish as a player in the near future. Go join Timmy and knock 'em dead in Europe in '04! and most of all, thank you. Larry
Not being sarcastic, but does this mean that there is news Mathis is for sure not going to be with the team next year? I wouldn't be surprised, but I hadn't heard anything definite yet. By the way, I like the sentiments. I cut the guy a lot of slack for his recent form. At his best, he has been one of the most exciting players to watch our league has developed.
Clint Mathis = Kevin Maas/ Shane Spencer We can't have a guy on the field for what he has done in the past. If he can no longer deliver the goods for us, then it is in our best interest and his for him to move on. Seems pretty straight forward to me.
Clint had one, maybe one and a half good seasons (the one where he started quick, then injured his knee)... Does this make him a has been, a never will be, or a one hit wonder???
THATS WHY HE'S HERE!!! And don't forget his coast-to-coast run against Dallas in 2001 at Giants Stadium when he beat four defenders to score. I don't think anyone at the stadium that day will ever forget it.
Yesterday, Bradley played Clint as an A-mid-destributor, with Guevara playing an even deeper-lying distribution role. Clint's future is as a midfielder, but we can't forget him as a foreward. I think injuries have forced him into a new role; I think Bradley had accepted that; I think Clint is in the process of accepting it. The fans have yet to accept the reality of the change. As a pure midfielder, Clint can be an asset to any team in the League. If he goes to another MLS team, I hope will experience the triumph that a former Metro knew yesterday. Who would have figured Rodrigo Faria as the hero of an MLS playoff match? Romero Coralles, Manny Lagos -- too many players have left Metro and gone on to happier teams and times. Tony Meola. Whoever takes Clint for his strengths next season will be getting a real player.
i understand your general point, but comparing clint mathis to shane spencer or kevin maas is just ludicrous. even when shane spencer hit those big playoff home runs no one would have said he was one of the best hitters in the league. he was clutch for a season or two. even if mathis' performance has been erratic at times, many people would still say he is one of the most, if not the most, talented player(s) in the MLS. when i think of clint mathis i think of the 2002 world cup. he wasn't given a fair shake of the stick, but when he did get in he played brilliantly. in that competition he looked like the fabled player that the us has never had. that being said, i agree that for whatever reason, he's not producing now and it's probably time to move on. i just hope he goes to another league so i don't have to watch him beat us
I watch soccers on tv: MLS, EPL, Bundesliga..... but Clint is the reason I go to stadium. Not sure if I will buy season tickets again if Clint leaves Metro.
If you think Mathis is equal to either of those guys, you need to go watch more baseball. That is a ridiculous comparison. He wasn't and isn't a flash in the pan. He has performed at the highest level that this game has. If anything, you need to compare him to players who have been plagued by injury. A more apt comparison might be Rick Middleton and the Rangers, but even that probably isn't fair. I know it's an over used statistic, but look at the Metros record when he scored. The frustrating part has been the lack of scoring this year, that's it.
Clint had a few unbelievable games. Unfortunately, most of them were from 2000 to 2001, before his ACL. Just a few off the top my head. *The 5-goal game. *The 60 yd run and shoot against Dallas, completely outclassed 4 defenders & Dallas keeper. *Against KC, the hat trick of versatility: bending in a 30-yd free kick using his right foot, a run-and-shot hard shoot outside the box using his left foot, and a great header off a corner kick. *Then, there’s this one against KC in summer of 2000. It was over 100F and humid on the field. He ran around whole game, and at near the end he took the ball away a defender, charged in and beat Meola for the only goal of the game. Afterward, he lifted up his jersey and showed the I-love-NY T-shirt underneath! This guy had run around under that kind of heat and humidity with the T-shirt for the whole game, just so he would have a chance to show his goal celebration. How crazy and cocky and fit was this guy?! Without questions, his 2000 – 2001 form was amazing. No one in USMNT could top his goal scoring prowess and versatility, and he was in top physical shape with great toughness on the field. Too bad it all went downhill after the ACL.
2001 sure seems like a long time ago. Anyone know what Kevin Maas is up to? Clint may need some career advice.
I've got eight of his rookie cards sitting back at home. Upper Deck, mint condition. One's even autographed. Make me an offer.
"Clint Mathis = Kevin Maas" Wow Kevin Maas...man I rem him. He came out on fire and then dissapeared. I think he couldnt hit a certain pitch and the pitchers quickly figured that out. But he holds a record of some sort, fastest to hit X amount of homeruns or something.
Faria is the fourth leading goal scorer in league matches in Metrostars history. He led the Metrostars in goals two years (I believe). Who would have thought that he might actually be able to score a goal? Yes, I understand Faria's limitations but let's face it, when he plays, he is better than any forward we have on this team right now. (And don't mention Mathis because as far as I can see he has become as midfielder).
I have a bunch of Gregg Jefferies rookie cards.....maybe we can trade?? or better yet, just set fire to them.. Ahhh, baseball cards.....my early induction into the stock market..and what it feels like to crap out on a 'cant miss'....f-ers.
I have a few myself which I thnk I payed around $20 bucks a piece for. Then again I do have 2 Billy Ripken *#*#*#*#face cards. Make me an offer.
I've always been a huge supporter of Cletus and I would love nothing more than for him to come back to Metros next season and light up the scoreboard once again. But realistically, I also think a change of scenery might just be what he needs to hopefully return to the form that made him look like potentially the greatest American player we ever had. So good luck bro, hope you find greener pastures elsewhere and thanks for the memories.
Man, he was really on fire during this time. He hasnt been the same player since that injury he picked up training for the USMNT. Since then he has picked up one injury after another. He has shown flashes of his old self e.g. against Germany in early 2002.
I was glad to read the positive sentiments (from most) towards Clint's career as a Metro. I admit he struggled the past two seasons...but all we dois kill the guy, and who has he had to partner with him at forward...Jusjokwiak (Are you kidding me? Did this guy really play in the Bundesliga?), Wolnyieck (who if Clint under-achieved then he certianly over-achieved, he's unbelievably slow), Magee (he's just a kid who will improve with experience) and Moreno (all we do is knock Clint, and no one ever mentions that we are paying the maximum to a guy who contributed less to our team than Marcelo Balboa). Are we kidding ourselves? Moreno? But on a positive note, I'd like to see Clint back with reinforcements, and a couple of young players --Rico Clark, Eddie Gaven, Magee, who could dominate in this league. Did I mention Jaime Moreno? Jeez...
Anybody has a private collection of Clint scoring videos clips dated way back to 2000? I am willing to pay whatever it takes to get a copy.