How it all came to be...
In his storied soccer career, Clint Mathis has established himself as one of the finest strikers America has ever produced. His remarkable talents have made him a MLS superstar and an internationally-known soccer personality. He has also made himself a mainstay on the US Men's National Team. His rise through the ranks of soccer begins at the age of 3 as a small boy in Conyers, GA. Mathis' older siblings were soccer players as well, and it was through Mathis' experiences with them that his love for the game was born. Mathis would attend every game that his siblings played and tagged along to practices when he was allowed. His talents and passion for the game of soccer were obvious from the get go. His Mother, Pat, who Mathis credits for much of his success, enrolled him in his first competitive soccer league at the age of 5.
"Growing up, sports were a big part of my life. I learned from the example of my older siblings and my mom was always very supportive of my desire to participate. My family has been a tremendous source of support for me. My mom, to this day, is one of my closest friends and we keep in constant contact. I would not be where I am today without her love and example."
During his youth and into high school Mathis was an excellent all-around athlete, excelling in basketball and tennis (and of course, soccer.) As he approached his elder high school years, it became very apparent that he had what it took to take his game to the next level of soccer. As a senior at Heritage High, Mathis was named the 1993 High School Player of the Year for the state of Georgia. His success on the field led to several calls from many big name schools and the race for Mathis' services was on. Eventually he settled on South Carolina, a school that according to Mathis was "far enough away from home for me to get a real college experience, but close enough that I was able to visit my family without much trouble."
His success on the field continued in college where he started every game as a freshman. As a sophomore in 1995, Mathis took his game to another level as he led the nation with 25 goals scored and garnered first team All-America honors. He finished his career at South Carolina as the school's third all-time leading scorer with 53 goals and 15 assists. Mathis' stellar college career led to him being selected 6th in the 1998 MLS College Draft by the Los Angeles Galaxy. He enjoyed a very successful rookie year, tallying 5 goals and 10 assists. It was also during this year that Mathis recorded his first international cap, playing midfield for the US Men's national team in a 0-0 tie against Australia. Not only was Clint the youngest starter on the field for the U.S. at 21-years old, but he was also named man of the match.
After his successful rookie campaign, Mathis enjoyed a very strong second season and started to emerge as one of the most talented soccer players in U.S. history. He tallied 20 total points (good for third on the team) and helped the Galaxy reach the MLS Cup final. He also recorded 2 caps for the National team in during the 1999 season. In the middle of his third MLS campaign, Mathis was traded from the Galaxy to the MetroStars and became an instant hit in the big apple. He was selected to play in the MLS All- Star game, and was also chosen as a member of the league's "Best XI" during the 2000 season. He tallied 46 total points that year, good for second in the league.
He also took a big step forward as a member of the National Team, recording two assists and tallying his first international goal; an achievement Mathis called "The fulfillment of a life-long dream." Mathis' fourth season in the MLS was marred by injury, but he was still able to tally a total of 19 points despite playing in only 10 games. His injuries did not allow him to play in the MLS All-Star game, for which he was selected. Despite playing less than half of the season, Mathis still led the MetroStars in scoring. His individual brilliance was on full display during one very memorable play against the Dallas Burn in 2001. He was awarded the 2001 MLS "Goal of the Year" for his unbelievable 70 yard-romp through the entire Burn defense, a goal that many say is among the best in MLS history. 2001 also represented a very memorable National Team campaign for Mathis. He recorded a total of 4 goals and 10 assists, including a memorable game winner against Honduras during qualifying play that gave the U.S. a 2-1 victory. Mathis' Fifth MLS season was cut very short due to his participation in the World Cup for the national team. In 14 appearances with the MetroStars, Mathis recorded 4 goals and 2 assists. His 2002 season with the National Team provided many brilliant moments and Clint finished the season as the leading scorer on the team with 16 total points. He made three World Cup appearances, starting against Poland and Korea. His goal in the 24th minute of the Korea game remains one of the defining moments for the United States in international competition.
Mathis also gained international notoriety that day by sporting his infamous "Mohawk" hair style, which led to him rapidly becoming the new face of American soccer. Mathis capitalized on his success in 2003 with a torrid start for the MetroStars, scoring a goal in every game during the month of May and leading the MetroStars to an undefeated 4-0-1 record to start the season. Due to extreme national team commitments, Mathis missed much of the 2003 season and finished with 9 goals and 1 assist. During 2003, Mathis appeared in a total of 12 matches for the US National Team, wearing the Captain's Armband for 3 games.
In 2003 Mathis received several lucrative offers from many clubs in Europe. His hard work and dedication to the game was paying off and the international attention intruiged Mathis. On one hand he felt loyalty to the League and country that made him a star, but on the other hand the chance to play against the best the world has to offer and show the critics in the soccer world that the U.S. could produce legitimate international stars was too much for Mathis to pass up. "I had to give it a try, I owed to myself and the players that came before me. The decision to leave the MLS was difficult, but it made sense financially and I had confidence in my game. I wanted to take it to the highest level." And that's just what happened. Mathis signed with Hannover 96, one of Germany's most respected and well known soccer clubs. His quick start silenced critics and proved to the world that Mathis was a legitimate international soccer superstar. He scored four goals in his first five games, including a game winning goal in the 83rd minute against FC Schalke. He continued his excellence on the playing field, twice being named to Kicker Magazine's "Team of the Week" during his 13 starts for Hannover 96. Unfortunatley, Mathis' experience in Germany didn't end as he hoped. A dispute with the Head Coach led to Mathis being benched and he quickly found out that he no longer had a place on the team.
"Being benched was very difficult, but I had to stand up for what I felt was right. I don't regret anything I did in Germany, when I was on the field I proved that I belonged. A miscommunication and a personal vendetta put a damper on my time there, but overall I accomplished what I wanted to. I proved that I could play with the best players in the world. I proved that American Soccer Players are making tremendous strides on the international stage."
Sitting on the bench did not sit well with Mathis. Before to long he expressed his desire to return to the states and to the league where he became a star. When Real Salt Lake hired Coach John Ellinger to lead its franchise, Mathis wasted no time in expressing his desire to play for RSL and for the Coach whom he always looked up to and admired.
"When I saw that John was hired I knew that I had to do anything I could to get to Salt Lake. I made a promise to him long ago that if he ever got a head coaching job, I would be there for him. I wanted to fulfill that promise and the timing was prefect."
Hannover 96's loss was Real Salt Lake's gain. On January 6th, 2005 Real Salt Lake acquired Mathis with its first expansion allocation. The excitement around the soccer community was prevalent as one of the most accomplished American Soccer Players in history was coming to Utah. The young expansion franchise suddenly garnered instant respect with Mathis' signing and the rest of the league took notice that RSL would be a team to be reckoned with.
Coach Ellinger's Call...
"Bottom line with Clint: he's and impact player who changes the game by his mere presence. I have known Clint for a very long time and I have full confidence that he is the right person to lead our team. He is certainly one of the guys on this team that we will count on to show our young guys what it takes to compete on a high level day in and day out. Simply put; Clint is one of the finest soccer players America has ever produced and I am thrilled at the prospect of coaching him."
Field Vision: Goalkeeper DJ Countess says...
"Clint is a guy that is always looking out for other people. I have been close to him for a long time and I know that I can always count on him for anything. I know that with Clint and Jason leading the way up front this year we will take a lot of people by surprise with how strong we will be defensively. He impacts the game in so many different ways; it's hard to pick one part of his game that stands out because he is such an outstanding all around player. I am excited he is here because he is a good friend and he will be a great leader on our team. "
Things you need to know...
Nickname:
Cleetus
Hobbies:
Golf
Most memorable moments:
Scoring in the World Cup
Favorite music:
Hip-Hop
Favorite movie:
Dumb and Dumber
Favorite food:
Fried Chicken
Favorite TV show:
70's Show and CSI
