Clint Mathis

Clint Mathis
Personal information
Full name Clint Mathis
Date of birth (1976-11-25) November 25, 1976
Place of birth Conyers, Georgia, U.S.
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Midfielder/Forward
Youth career
0000–1994 AFC Lightning
1994–1997 South Carolina Gamecocks
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1998–2000 Los Angeles Galaxy 65 (15)
2000–2003 MetroStars 67 (33)
2004–2005 Hannover 96 17 (5)
2005 Real Salt Lake 27 (3)
2006 Colorado Rapids 25 (2)
2007 New York Red Bulls 26 (6)
2008 Ergotelis 8 (1)
2008–2009 Real Salt Lake 39 (2)
2010 Los Angeles Galaxy 9 (0)
Total 283 (67)
National team‡
1998–2005 United States 46 (12)
Teams managed
2014–2015 Chicago Fire (assistant)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 16, 2010.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of March 16, 2009

Clint Mathis (born November 25, 1976) is a retired American soccer player.

Career

Youth and college

Mathis was born in Conyers, Georgia and played club soccer at a young age for Rockdale Youth Soccer Association, and then for AFC Lightning, a Georgia powerhouse producing players such as former U.S. international Ricardo Clark, in Fayetteville. He played school soccer for Heritage High School, a state champion, and played college soccer at the University of South Carolina.

Professional

Mathis was drafted sixth overall by Los Angeles Galaxy in the first round of the 1998 MLS College Draft. After two and a half years with Los Angeles, Mathis was awarded to the MetroStars in the dispersal draft after the Galaxy signed Mexican forward Luis Hernández.[1]

Mathis immediately took his game to a new level, flashing an "I ♥ NY" shirt after scoring goals and breaking the MLS record by scoring five goals in a game against Dallas Burn on August 26, 2000. He finished second in the league in scoring with 16 goals and 14 assists and was named to the MLS Best XI. 2001 saw Mathis score seven goals in his first six games, including the league's eventual Goal of the Year on a half-field run against Dallas. In June, he tore his ACL, which ended his season. He never recovered his pre-injury form and scored only 13 goals in his remaining two seasons with the MetroStars.

After the 2002 MLS season, elite German club Bayern Munich attempted to acquire Mathis but was blocked by MLS. In 2004, Mathis left the MetroStars to sign on a free transfer with Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga.

Mathis played well in his first season in Germany, scoring on his debut. He scored four goals in his first five games. But his Hannover coach was fired and replaced. And in his second Bundesliga season the coach kept him often on the bench. On September 25, 2004 upon entering a game as a very late substitute and scoring almost immediately the game-winning goal, Mathis ran to the sideline and tapped his watch at the new Hannover coach, Ewald Lienen. Mathis started the next game but afterwards never played with the first team again. In December he was transferred back to MLS, joining expansion club Real Salt Lake.

Mathis said he returned to fulfill a promise made to RSL head coach John Ellinger. His initial season in Utah was a major disappointment, as Mathis only managed to score three goals the entire year. However, when he did score he did so in style: all three goals earned praise as MLS Goal of the Week. In December 2005, he was traded to Colorado in exchange for Jeff Cunningham.[2]

On March 29, 2007, Mathis was traded from Colorado Rapids to New York Red Bulls for a 2008 MLS SuperDraft fourth-round draft pick and a conditional draft pick in 2009.[3] In his first home game, he notched a goal and an assist to lead New York to a 3–0 rout of FC Dallas. As of November 2014, Mathis is New York's third all-time goal scorer with 45 in all competitions.

Mathis was traded to Los Angeles Galaxy on November 19, 2007 for a third round pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft.[4] He made his debut for the Galaxy in a friendly at Telstra Stadium against Sydney FC in front of 80,000 fans. He scored the first goal in the Galaxy's match versus Wellington Phoenix.

In January 2008, during the European transfer window he left the Galaxy, signing with Ergotelis in Greece. Ergotelis sat at the bottom of the table in the Greek First Division. Playing in a recent match, and down 2–1, Ergotelis manager used Mathis who made his debut at the club as his team's third substitute in the 72 minute. In the 91 minute of stoppage time down a goal, the ball popped to Mathis outside the box and he struck a powerful left footed volley that the keeper could only deflect into the back of the net, earning a crucial point against fellow relegation battlers Apollon Kalamarias.

Real Salt Lake signed Mathis in August 2008 after acquiring his MLS rigthts from Los Angeles in exchange for a conditional draft pick, which became a third-round selection in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.[5]

After 11 years in Major League Soccer, Mathis won the MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake in 2009, defeating Los Angeles Galaxy in a 1–1 draw that was decided in overtime by penalties, with Mathis scoring the first penalty kick goal.

Mathis was traded back to Los Angeles on January 14, 2010 in exchange for a swap of first-round picks in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.[6]

On August 3, 2010, Mathis announced he would retire from professional soccer after the Galaxy's exhibition match against Real Madrid on Saturday August 7, 2010.

Coaching

On January 31, 2014, Mathis was announced as assistant coach of the MLS Chicago Fire and head coach Frank Yallop.[7]

International

Mathis earned his first cap for the U.S. national team on November 6, 1998, against Australia. His first goal came on November 15, 2000, in a 4–0 win over Barbados.[8] He was a contributor for the United States national team in the early stages of qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring the game-winning goal against Honduras and setting up Josh Wolff's game-winning goal against Costa Rica.

At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Mathis shaved his hair into a mohawk and scored a goal in the United States' 1–1 draw with South Korea.

International Appearances

[9]

National TeamYearAppsStartsGoalsAssists
United States
19981100
19992000
20002212
20016523
2002151073
200312710
20046300
20052211
Total4630129

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 November 15, 2000 Waterford, Barbados  Barbados 1–0 4–0 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
2 March 3, 2001 Pasadena, California  Brazil 1–1 1–2 Friendly
3 March 28, 2001 San Pedro Sula, Honduras  Honduras 2–0 2-1 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
4 March 2, 2002 Seattle, Washington  Honduras 1–0 4–0 Friendly
5 3–0
6 March 27, 2002 Rostock, Germany  Germany 1–0 2–4 Friendly
7 2–4
8 April 3, 2002 Denver, Colorado  Mexico 1–0 1-0 Friendly
9 May 16, 2002 East Rutherford, New Jersey  Jamaica 2–0 5-0 Friendly
10 June 10, 2002 Daegu, South Korea  South Korea 1–0 1–1 2002 FIFA World Cup
11 January 18, 2003 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida  Canada 2–0 4-0 Friendly
12 March 9, 2005 Fullerton, California  Colombia 3–0 3-0 Friendly

Trivia

In 2002, Mathis became the first male soccer player in eight years to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated in its World Cup preview issue. Mathis was also on the cover of ESPN MLS Extratime in 2002, and Backyard Soccer 2004.

Honors

Club

Real Salt Lake

Individual

References

  1. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-05-15/sports/0005150109_1_clint-mathis-metrostars-mls
  2. ↑ http://www.espnfc.com/story/352067/mathis-traded-for-cunningham
  3. ↑ http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=102827
  4. ↑ "LA Galaxy acquire veteran Clint Mathis". mlsnet.com. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  5. ↑ http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=4014364&nid=481
  6. ↑ http://www.foxsports.com/west/story/galaxy-reacquire-mathis-select-midfielder-stephens-011410
  7. ↑ "Chicago Fire Soccer Club Adds Clint Mathis to Coaching Staff". chicago-fire.com. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ "USA Wins Group E, Gains Spot in Final Qualifying Round for World Cup 2002 with 4-0 Win Over Barbados". ussoccer.com. November 15, 2000. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Clint Mathis – U.S. Soccer Media Guide". 2013 USMNT Media Guide. Retrieved December 22, 2013.

External links

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