By Andrea Canales

In 1998, the Los Angeles Galaxy picked a raw talent named Clint Mathis in the college draft. That year, the team boasted an impressive squad that would set MLS all-time records for games won and goals scored in the regular season. It wasn’t easy for a rookie to break into the starting lineup.

Mathis fought for playing time and impressed regularly, but his success forced the club to trade him midway through the 2000 season to the New York Metrostars as fair exchange for the arrival of Mexican star Luis Hernandez. Mathis scored a total of 15 goals during his time in Los Angeles. He also contributed 17 assists.

“He was my teammate here years and years ago,” recalled Galaxy midfielder Pete Vagenas of playing with Mathis in that time. “He was a young, raw kid that was just oozing talent at that time and just waiting for someone to mold that diamond. He turned into a spectacular player.”

The ascendant rise of Mathis continued in New York, where he once scored five times in a single match. However, his individual heroics were never able to consistently bring success to the East Coast organization.

In certain ways, Mathis was focused elsewhere, because European clubs were interested in the versatile, creative midfielder/forward.

However, Mathis would undergo surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament injury, recover in time to score a goal in the 2002 World Cup, and return to MLS play before such a move materialized in 2004.

His brief stint with Hannover 96 was fraught with drama, as the volatile player clashed with his coach. Upon returning to MLS, Mathis joined expansion club Real Salt Lake for the 2005 season. After a disappointing period there, Mathis was traded to the Colorado Rapids. He later requested a trade to New York and was granted that for 2007.

Though he started the season off well with Red Bull New York, Mathis was later benched by Bruce Arena, who, as coach of the U.S. men’s national team, had made a similar move when he no longer called in Mathis for the USMNT, despite Mathis scoring a goal in his final appearance with the squad.

Some speculated that lax training habits were to blame for Mathis’ lack of playing time.

Despite these concerns, the Los Angeles Galaxy, where Mathis first played as a professional, traded for him just after the 2007 season closed. Almost a decade has passed since Mathis was a hot-shot young player there. Now he joins Landon Donovan and David Beckham in an effort to reverse the club’s fortunes.

Donovan welcomed the contribution of Mathis, though a bit unsure of exactly what it would be.

“I don’t know where Clint is at, mentally and physically,” said Donovan. “You never know. When we played him in the Open Cup, he looked awesome (the Galaxy won, 3-1 in overtime). When we played them in New York, he looked awesome (New York won, 4-5). Other parts of the year, he didn’t play, for whatever reason, or he didn’t look as good. It’s worth taking a chance on, because he’s a very good player and he can help us.”

Vagenas noted that Mathis might be looking for a fresh move to revive his fortunes.

This year, because I spoke to him the last time we played (New York), didn’t go as well as he had hoped, but at the same time, I think Alexi (Lalas) saw what all of us still see in him, which is the opportunity to lead the league in scoring if the situation is right,” Vagenas said. “Clint has a responsibility to come in here and do a job.”

New Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit had a chance to evaluate Mathis and his skills during the team’s recent tour to Australia and New Zealand.

Though Mathis is no longer the brash youngster he once was, Vagenas would not be surprised to see flashes of that former fight and feistiness.

“What I remember from Clint most is training at the Rose Bowl,” Vagenas said. “This was probably at the height of the Galaxy in terms of the players that we had. Anybody will say this to you – he was probably the most talented player that we had. I remember one game, Sigi (Schimid) wasn’t going to start him and Clint was so upset. We played the starters against the reserves for the following game – it was the next day and he went out and scored three goals in twenty minutes and kind of got in Sigi’s face. I’ll never forget it. That’s the Clint that I remember.”

On the Galaxy tour, Mathis scored the team’s opening goal versus Wellington Phoenix.

“Clint Mathis is a very talented soccer player,” said Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein. “That has never been debated – the talent that he has and what he can bring to a team. Really, the responsibility falls on Clint to put the work and fit into the LA Galaxy. If he does this, he can not only be a part of all this, but also thrive.”

Defender Chris Albright observed that though the team has changed drastically since Mathis left, the adjustment didn’t seem too difficult.

“Clint fit in well,” Albright stated. “He played well on the trip. I knew Clint before, so it wasn’t much of a new experience for me. I think Clint is happy to be with us right now and hopefully things work out going forward.”

It might be too much to ask of any player – to return to the place that launched a career and hope for a resurgence – but Mathis has always been a player who defied conventional wisdom. He might still surprise everyone.

“Hopefully, he’ll come back to an environment that he was comfortable at and that will bring the best out of him,” Vagenas said. “He’ll be the first one to tell you that the last couple of years have not gone quite as well as he had hoped.”

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