April 7, 2026 • 42 mins
Clint Mathis returns for an extended conversation with Matt Doyle and Tab Ramos, diving deep into one of the most fascinating careers in U.S. Soccer history. From growing up in Conyers, Georgia where the odds of becoming a professional soccer player were slim, to emerging as one of the game’s most electrifying talents, Clint shares his full journey.
The group revisits his legendary run with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, his on and off-field connection with Tab, and the unforgettable goals that defined his MLS career. Clint also relives his iconic strike against South Korea at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, a moment that helped push the U.S. out of the group stage, along with memories from the clashes against Mexico and Germany and just how close that team came to the World Cup Final.
Off the field, Clint opens up about life in New York City, his “rockstar” persona, and how it may have impacted the length of his career. Plus, he reveals his All-Time USMNT Starting XI and shares the story of how close he came to joining Bayern Munich.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
He dribbled everyone and then he I think the goalkeepers
coming out, but I'm open. I made the run the
whole way. I ran my bavy yards with Clint and
I'm open in front of goal, and he decided to
suit it.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
But I still it is day. Don't even know that
I knew that you were there.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Greeting folks, and welcome to Inside America in Soccer. I'm
your host, Matt Doyle holding down the fort for Tom Boger.
I'm joined by one of the greatest players in US
soccer history, a veteran of three World Cups, Tab Ramos,
and we are bringing back US soccer legend and Tab's
favorite player and also.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Mine Clinton mathis Cleaytens. Thank you for joining us by friend.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
No problem, thanks for having me.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
So on today's show, we're gonna interview Clint.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
We're going to talk about his most memorable moments, both
for club and country.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
We're gonna talk about his upbringing a little bit.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Came from Conyers, Georgia, outside of Atlanta, not traditionally known
as a hotbed, but he may have paid the way
a little bit. As we see more Southerners breaking into
the top flight, not just in the US but overseas
as well, highs and lows. Plus we are going to
ask him to name his all time US men's national
team starting eleven tab. Did you slip him the envelope
(01:16):
to make sure that your name is in that eleven?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
I tried, but you know, Clint always goes with the heart,
so I'm sure he's gonna pick whoever he thinks is right.
And by the way, I'm gonna be totally okay with that.
It's great. It's just great to have Clint on, you
know we I've been fortunate enough to sort of end
my career with Clint be in my roommate for the
last couple of years, and I truly enjoyed seeing seeing
(01:41):
his rise into stardom.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
You know, not that he.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Wasn't already a little bit of a start when he
came to the Metro Stars from LA but I think
once he joined the New York team and the Metro
Stars at the time, that's sort of where he really
took off, absolutely for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
So I was gonna say I was gonna transition back
to your up because we'll get into the Metro Stars
bit in a minute.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I just want to talk.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
About the fact that you grew up in Conyers, Georgia
in the nineteen eighties. It's a college football hopbed right.
It's not like it's a great basketball area. It's not
a place.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
It's not Carneie. It's that where Tap grew up. It's
not out California.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
How did you come to the game and how did
you end up being such a complete and technical player
given the standards.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, so, I mean, I think it's kind of funny.
I have two older brothers and an older sister, so
it goes myself and my sisters five years older. And
then I have an eight and a half year older
brother and a ten year older brother. So I was
definitely the mistake that happened. But that's okay, I don't
mind that. But yeah, being around my older siblings, I
(02:50):
think really just gave me that competitiveness drive and things
of that sort. And you know, my brothers, they were
big time wrestlers.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
They also played football, but they also played soccer. Uh.
And then when I would go to their high school games,
I would be the ball boy. So I was around soccer,
I was around all sports.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
So I played literally everything, uh, you know under the sun.
Uh as far as kids could play. I mean I
did golf, I did bowling, I did wrestling, I did basketball. Uh,
they wouldn't let me do soccer, or excuse me, football
because one of my brothers got hurt. So that's the
one sport I could never be allowed to play. But
(03:32):
there was something fascinating that about soccer that granted you
don't use your hands and then be able to, you know,
do the things that you can do with your feet
was pretty foreign. Uh you know, I think to a
lot of people, especially in the South, so it was
one of those things that you know, I'd like to
be indifferent. Uh not many people were doing it. So
(03:55):
I just looked at something like that and really enjoyed it.
So I just continue to play that, and at a
young age, it was something that kind of clicked with me.
I still continue to play all the other sports. And
then I think it was my after my junior year
of high school, I used to play basketball and football,
and then I decided to just stick with soccer and
(04:17):
focus on that after my junior year of high school
and everything else took off and told the story itself there.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, I have to say, and I'm not sure how
you did that, But you just mentioned that you continue
to play basketball for a little while. But you know,
I'm sure you remember at Keene University we had the
basketball court that you know, before the coaches arrived. Everybody
used to go in and play. And I want to
say that I played, and although I wasn't a terrible
(04:47):
basketball player, I could play. But to be able to
see how you played basketball and how Tim Howard played
basketball was certainly a different level. And I have to say,
you know, and sometimes I I say this about Tony
Meola sometimes too. There's just certain guys that are just
great at every sport, and Clint happens to be one
of those.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Well, thank you Tap when you when you met Clint
right after that trade from the Galaxy to the Metro Stars.
And for those who aren't aware, it was a really convoluted,
very early MLS trade, one where there were deals made
in dark rooms by people nobody knows, and that's how
Clint ended up with the Metro Stars and kind of
(05:29):
saved helped save a franchise that had been in the
doulgrums for a year.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
But Tab, what was your impression of him?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Because you knew he was an attacking player, but then
he comes and you see how versatile he is and
how skillful he is, and was it just instantly like, oh,
I have a kindred spirit now on the field with me.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Well, at first, I think I had a little bit
of that arrogance that we all seemed to have, you know,
in New Jersey as part of everyday life, right, which is, okay,
so we're getting some player from la who's from Georgia.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Why do I care? Really?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
You know, like that? And then and then you realize
the ability, right, And then you realize why not only
the ability, but then you realized his way to connect
with people, and you realize the charisma that Clint had
immediately when he walked into a room. You know. Not
everybody's like this, you know. I think Clint had a
(06:24):
lot of special qualities like that were automatically when you
walked into locker room. He was just very well liked.
And I think that's something that at the time. We
were building a nice team at the time, if you
know Clint, if you remember the year two thousand, I
think we had the best team in the league. We
happened not to win that year, but I think we
we actually should have won MLS Cup. I think that's
(06:45):
the year that Kansas City won and we've got knocked
out by Chicago. But my point was we were building
something good at the time, and I think Clint, one
of was one of those pieces that became the glue
between sort of the American and the foreign players. We
had Lotha Mittea's, we had, you know, we had some big,
superstar guys, but I think Clint's charisma match with its
(07:09):
talent was the glue that kind of brought that team together.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, that was a special team. I mean, like you said,
you brought up Lothar, I got to play a little
bit closer between Tab and Adolpho Valencia, who was an
unbelievable player. So you know that means a lot saying that.
You know, I was that glue there. But I mean,
I think all these teams have these little pieces that
(07:34):
are needed, and Tad was right that that team was
being a team that was a good team being built.
Uh And if I was the last piece to come
in there, I was happy to be that piece because
it was a it was a great transition and to
see how how good that team really was. Obviously going
up against a team like Chicago, which was a great
(07:56):
team first year franchise and had these unbelievable Europea on
players or whatever. So you know, Bob Bradley did a
good team, good job building that team as well, but
I definitely think we had the best team and we
were the team to watch out for, especially that year.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I remember you you kind of hit that hit that
team like a thunderbolt when you arrived. It was every
week you were scoring, You were assistant, and you're kind
of the skeleton key that ended up unlocking a lot
of the attacking stuff that you early.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
In the season.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I think everybody had seen it, but there was just
that one centerpiece missing, and that's the role you kind
of played, Clint, and I guess the the the high
point of all that was it was a hot summer
night in Dallas in August of two thousand and you
went out and you said an MLS record scoring five goals,
(08:49):
and Table course was on the field with you that night,
and it just kind of all came together for you
and and for the MetroStars on that day.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, Sony is you know, every once in a while
when this kid's asked, I like telling the story because
I think it's a good life lesson too, whether it's
kids or anybody that is listening or watching or whatnot.
But you would think that everything was just going in
my favor that day. But at the beginning, it's hot,
it's muggy, everything like that. And I think I took
(09:21):
six shots that game. I could be wrong, but you
can ask the statistician stattician. But the very first shot,
I think I might have hurt the popcorn guy really
bad because it was so far away from goal in
the stand somewhere. And you know, the lesson learned there is,
don't worry about what happened. Worry about the next play
(09:45):
because you can't do anything about what just happened. And
literally everything just laid in place. In the next five attempts,
I put it goal, We're in the back of the net.
And to add to that story, I think we were winning.
It was either three nothing or three. I think it
might have been three to one in the locker room,
and everybody was happy. I just had a hat trick,
(10:07):
so I'm happy. Everything's going good. And then all of
a sudden we come out and Dallas scores three goals.
We're losing four to three, and I am absolutely just livid,
and I'm screaming about the defense. I think I was
yelling at Mike Pecky at one time. I was like,
get this crap together, what are we doing? And then
(10:28):
you know, I was able to go in and score
two more to put us up five to four. And
then these guys were literally trying to kill me, so
I asked the coach, hey, we only got a few
more minutes left due these guys are going to be
breaking my legs. Soon crowd was booing me and everything,
so I was able to get out of their unscathed.
And then I think at Dulphos scored a six goal
for us to win six to four. So one of
(10:51):
those games that I won't forget. It's pretty cool to
be able to do that. Not many people can say
that they scored five goals in a game, so I'll
take that. But the most important thing was getting the
win out of there, and to this day I think
that rosewell or excuse me, the Cotton Bowl is probably
one of my favorite places to play, even though nobody
(11:11):
gets to play there too much anymore.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, well, you know, it's easy to define it as
your favorite when you scored five goals, right, Dallas.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Has always been my favorite team to play because I
think that year we played them like three times because
we would play them in the playoffs or whatever happened.
But I think we played them three times that year,
and I think I scored ten goals on them that season.
So they're my favorite team to play. That's why I
like the Cotton Bowl as well.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
No, and by the way, Matt You's saying that night
in Dallas, we wish it was that night in Dallas.
It was actually it was actually like before in the afternoon,
ae hundred degree weather day at the Cotton Bowl.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, so what was extremely the whistle blue and the
game was over the.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Exactly hey for me, For me to be honest, I
think I played the whole game, but I think it
was night. Right around the twenty fifth minutes.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Her eyes were closed.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Yeah, Aleck, Clint do all the heavy lifted on that one.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
But then it came back to buy.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You a year later, Tab But when Clint scored the
two thousand and one goal of the year for the
Metro Stars on a terrible field and Clint chose not
to pass to you instead, are you bitter about that now?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Twenty five years later, do you think he made the
right show?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
No, you know, I'm trying to figure out how you
found that out. You must have read that somewhere, because
I know that Clint dribbled everybody, like down the whole field, right,
that's the goal. It was that. It was that giant stadium.
He dribbled everyone and then he I think the goalkeepers
coming out, but I'm open. I made the run the
whole way. I ran like eighty yards with Clint and
(12:50):
I'm open in front of goal, and he decided to
shoot it.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
But I still do the state don't even know that
I knew that you were there, because I guess because
people were like, well would you even want to dribble
that far? When you have you look up and you
see two or three people in front of you. If
I remember it directly, we actually had someone ejected, so
I think we were down a man, I could be.
(13:13):
And then we had a corner kick and so that
I was at the top of the box and the
ball came out, and so I was there with the
ball and I was like, well, I have no one
to kick it up to because we're down to man.
So I just took off dribbling, and I was like,
I'm just going to keep going right.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
It was a cow pasture, it was not a field
that was in the best condition. But you scored that
one and then you turned your jersey around in celebration,
you showed your your last name to the crowd.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
It was I mean, there was.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
A there was a sort of a magical, almost rockstar
type of thing to it right there. And was that
your mindset in those days, like Okay, let's let's put
on a show.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Let's make sure these people are So it.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Was definitely different on the field than I was off.
I was definitely more mellow off the field. I always
tell everybody that once you cross that line, I'll tackle
my mother if she's on the other team, but I'll
pick her up and take her for a beer after
the game. And that's the way I was, or tried
to be with everybody. You know throughout the league. You
(14:17):
know you're my enemy when we're playing against each other.
It's about going out doing what I need to take,
you know, nothing like dirty or anything like that, per se,
but try to get the job done. So I was
very an emotional type of player, very energetic type of players.
So I like to talk smack, I'd like to get
(14:38):
crowd involved, or most of the time the crowd was
booing me or whatever, you know, I would say something
back to him. So I was one of those guys,
but definitely different on the field wearing that jersey than
I was off the field, for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
And you know, and I think that's why the crowd
identified so much with Clint because of you know, at
the time. I'm not sure, Matt, if you were I
guess you might have been a fan of the time
right if you're in the area. But you know, the
crowd absolutely loved Clint and loved his commitment on the field.
I mean, although I mean you can tell by his
demeanor what he's like off the field. He was always
(15:15):
this way. He didn't just become this way now.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
On the field.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
He had no friends, and I think that's what that's
what the fans in this area really identify with, with
the guys that go on the field to just do
anything to win and don't care about having friends. And
I think that's why there was that immediate connection with
the crowd.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
I still don't have the connection with the crowd, and
then not sure, you gotta at least do Clint I
promise that connection with the crowd.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
And of course the way you played in two thousand
opened up doors to the national team, and you ended
up being one of the faces of the national team
for the two thousand and two World Cup, even coming
off of devastating injury. And then you don't start the
first game, but the second game of the group stage
you started in South Korea against the host nation and
(16:05):
you stood on the field for the national anthem, that
big flag behind you.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
What what was that feeling like for you?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
It's one of the best feelings ever, I mean, especially
how it ended up turning out. It's a game I'll
never forget, just the way that everything played out, playing
the you know, it was the first time that it
was hosted by two countries, Japan and South Korea, but
playing the host country in their city in Seoul, being
(16:33):
able to go and play against them. You look around
at that time for people that don't know, that was
called the Red Sea because they would all wear their
red jerseys out in the city and everything and had
literally looked like red water flowing through the cities because
there were so many people. But I remember back in
(16:54):
those games you couldn't hear anything. I mean even if
we were, you know, pretty much standing next to each other,
it was hard to hear each other. And it was
a loud game. The South Koreans were like robots, running
their tails off and then being able to get that
unbelievable ball from John O'Brien to lay down and be
able to take that first touch and finish the second
one was like the biggest sigh of relief. If you
(17:17):
go back and watch that after a score and I
run to the corner flag, you see like Brian McBride
hugging me, and then I think Claudio puts his arms
around us, and Claudia is like, just stay here in
the corner, stay here in the corner so we could
all get our breath back, because you know, the South
Koreans they were crazy fit and running everywhere. But the
(17:37):
one thing I remember the most is, and I tell
this to people all the time, how they always ask,
how is it you know, to feel where eighty thousand
people are cheering for you? I mean, what is that feeling?
And I was like, well, that feeling's good, but a
better feeling is having eighty thousand people root against you
and shutting every single one of them up. And that's
(17:57):
what happened in South Korea. I mean, we had probably
a few hundred people at the game, whether it be family, friends,
you know, fans or whatever, on the far other end
of the corner, and that's all you could hear. I mean,
you could literally almost hear a pin drop in that
stadium of how quiet it got. And you know, that's
a feeling I'll never forget till the day I die.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
That goal against South Korea in the World Cup. That
had to be your best moment in the US Jersey
or was there another one that stands out for you?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
No, for sure, That's definitely the best moment. I mean,
I just think the build up, the situation ends up
so happening we lose that game or the next game,
because we tied that one, so we beat Portugal, tied
that game. That goal actually gets us through just because
of the points that we had because Portugal ended up
(18:49):
losing to South Korea. So South Korea helped us out
to get through that. But you know, if you take
all that into account, to be able to score that
goal against the host country and be able to put
us through out of that group, stage. That's definitely the
best goal of my national team career for sure.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Tad.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
How did it feel for you to be watching that
one or to see it on highlights because it happened
at about three am the journey.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
No, No, it was amazing, truly amazing, and more importantly
because I knew Clint the person, you know, and I
knew where he was coming from, and I knew when
he celebrated a certain way, how he felt. You know,
I really felt like I identified with Clint and how he
felt in the game, and so I always had a
strong connection with Clint that way, and it was really
(19:36):
special to me to see him score and not load
to what Clint was saying about, you know, standing there
for the national anthem. You know, sometimes when you become
a longtime national team player, you know there are many
times when you walk on the field and you have
the opportunity to listen to your national anthem. But sometimes
(19:57):
you get caught up and we have to win this game.
We need two points here, we need a point there,
we need three points here, right, and you seem to
forget really where you are, who you are, and who
you're representing. You're just at the end of the day,
just playing a game. But I have to tell you this,
the World Cup is always different. You know, when you're
listening to your national anthem at the World Cup, there's
a special feeling that is different than any other game.
(20:21):
You know, the whole world is watching, and you know
you're fortunate enough, regardless of how good someone is, or
how good you are, or how good the next guy is,
that you're so fortunate to be one of eleven people
representing your whole country and that that truly is special.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
You guys follow that up the group stage with a
most famous performance in recent US national teams I think
maybe ever the two nil win the Delsa Sero over Mexico. Now,
you didn't feature in that one, but I imagine the
celebration in the locker room afterwards must have been legendary.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Clinton amazing. Obviously there's no blood lost between that rivalry
and it continues to happen uh nowadays. Being part of
that first Dosi Cetro and Columbus, Uh, that really kind
of started this whole trend type hathing the pasmer that
(21:18):
exactly and so and getting subbed into that because Josh
goes in and that game to rewind. It's just funny
how things pan out and how I think God looks
after you and paves a way for you. But Brian
gets his face smashed in, so Josh goes in, and
then I think Claudio gets hurt, so then I sub in,
(21:39):
and then guess what starts the dosi cetto there uh
with Mexico. But yeah, that game at the World Cup,
you know, just watching from the sideline, but just literally itching,
wanting to get in because of everything that's going on
with the you know, Marquez foul against Kobe and just
multiple things have happening, so you know, a lot of
(22:00):
bad blood between those I think especially it might not
happen as much today. I'm not sure, but you know,
those were just some battles against that era of Mexican
players and US players. And then the funny thing is is, yeah,
there was a celebration after not only to be able
to win that second round match, but also do it
(22:22):
against a team like Mexico, which everybody would always say, hey, yeah,
Mexico is better. I think it my stint. I don't
think in the games that I've played that ever lost
against Mexico. I didn't get to play in the one
where we played it as Teca, I think I was
injured or I was out that game for some reason.
But all the other games never lost to Mexico, And yeah,
(22:45):
just to have that feeling to beat them at a
World Cup on that world stage was amazing. And then
you know, we may or may not have had some
beers ready for us after the game. But the funniest
part about the story is after the game, you see
all them walk out. They got their wives and their
nice purses and everything like that and kids, and you know,
(23:08):
we're just sitting there hanging out, you know, waiting to
get on our bus. They take off and then we
get in our bus, have our beer on the bus,
and then as we're driving, you see a bus that's
pulled over on the side of the road. And we
had our caravan of all the security that was going
on with Osama bin Laden and everything. So we had
all kinds of military police and everything with us, because
(23:31):
everybody thought that the US team was going to get
killed somehow. And so we're going by and it happens
to be the Mexico bus that was pulled over the
sidelines or on the side of the road. And then
We're all hanging out the windows with our beers, just
started cheering like crazy as we're passing the bus. So
it was an awesome feeling. It just so happened that
(23:52):
it worked out that way. But I guess the plan's
always written how it's supposed to. That was a fun
celebration for sure.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
After that victory and the next game, the famous Torsten
Frings handball on the line. If there was var back
in the day, that one probably would have been a
lot different. Do you believe that you guys would have
won if that penalty had been awarded?
Speaker 2 (24:18):
I think so. I mean I think it would have
been a game changer. I mean what a lot of people.
I mean, maybe not a lot of people, but it
always talks about it comes up with a handball of
this and that. Do I think that we would have won?
You never know, because I think that what people miss
a lot is probably the best player on that field
(24:39):
was Oliver Kahan. Ye, the guy absolutely had a blinder.
It wasn't just that. I mean, we had some really
really good chances and he came up with some unbelievable saves.
Would that have been another one that he came up
with We'll never know, but I definitely think that that
could have been the straw to break the camel's back,
is if that is called and then they're already saying
(25:02):
or already thinking that, Hey, the US is all over
us right now, Oliver is really the only one that's
saving us. We get that penalty, we get that goal.
I definitely think it changes the mood of that team
and builds that confidence in the US to where you
could see a win. And then we win that game,
We're back at playing South Korea again in the semi
(25:25):
finals of a World Cup and who would have thought
that the US or South Korea would end up being
in the finals. So that would have been a fun
little story to read about if that happened. But then again,
I believe everything happens for a reason, and it just
wasn't our time to go further.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And again the pressure is off, right because you know,
against Germany, not expected to win, US is the underdog
and play and lose almost wins the game, And who
knows what would have happened on the next one, because
it would have been the same, right, All the pressure
would have been on the South Koreans if that was
going to be the the the and with no pressure on.
We've always been a team to fear.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Absolutely, just hope that we see some of that. Let's
hope that we see some of that this summer at
the World Cup for the US team, who of course
will be under some pressure, but for us, it's time
for a break up. Next, we'll ask Clint about a
current player that reminds him of himself. We'll ask him
about his rockstar persona as described by Ryan Dunsath back
in the day.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
And in the meantime, we're going to.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Ask you to please rate, review, and subscribe to Inside
American Soccer with Tom Boger and Tam Ramos wherever you
get your podcasts. Okay, folks, welcome back to Inside American Soccer.
(26:47):
I'm Mettal hosting for Tom Boger. I'm joined, of course
by Tom Ramos, and we're joined by Clint Mathis, the
guy who took the Metro Stars by storm back in
two thousand and then became something of our rock star.
As for our good friend Brian dun Seth who described
going to the clubs with you back in the day, Clinton.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
I don't know what he was talking about. Yeah, I
pleaded the fifth. Nah, No, I was. I definitely enjoyed.
I mean, that's I think what caused a lot of drama.
You know throughout my career is going out and doing
things that not the normal guy did. But at that time,
you know, I was in New York, a small a
(27:31):
small town Conyers where I grew up, moved to LA
and then moved to New York City. So I was
fortunate enough to meet a lot of influential people that
allowed me to get to meet some really cool, famous
people that I would never normally get to meet, especially
in Conyers unless it was the local bull rider or something.
(27:53):
I don't know, but uh yeah, No, I enjoyed myself.
But I think that that's what really allowed me to
just be that person that was free going out on
the field. Was it the best where I could have
the longevity of my career or anything like that, especially
how you need to take care of your body and stuff.
Absolutely not. Would I change anything, Probably not, because that
(28:18):
just gave me that freedom to say, Hey, I go
out and work hard, and I go and do my job.
I do everything that I need to do on the field.
I should be able to get to enjoy it. Off
the field as well, So maybe I shouldn't have done
it as much, But you know, you live life and
you learn from life, and no, I definitely enjoyed, enjoyed
myself and maybe did have this rock star persona. I
(28:41):
think at one point somebody called me the Dennis Rodman
of soccer. I don't know if I would go that far.
Was it like I was doing drugs or anything like that,
But I did like to have fun and go out.
Never did it the night before a game or day
before a game or anything like that. At least I
gave myself the day when I can't promise you on
(29:03):
two days before.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Is there a carrier part of the persona, I guess
is the confidence in the swagger that you carried yourself
with on the field. And Taba said, like, there's a
difference between Clint on the field and Clint off the
field in terms of how open and so like.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Even in the midst.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Of enjoying yourself in the way that you so eloquently
just described, you were kind of a killer once you
got in between the white lines. And is there a
player that reminds you of yourself in that way you
see them playing? You're like, Oh, that's kind of like me.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Oh, that's kind of tough to say. I mean a
lot of these guys I don't know personally because I
mean I'm not around them or anything like that. That
might be one we have to stick on a stick
in a pin, stick a pin in it just for
a second and let me think as we're talking a
little bit more. But there's a a couple guys that
you know, might come to mind that it was pretty
(30:03):
much like a f off type of guy that I
think people would pretty much call me is because you know,
I was that guy that literally went out there to
just try to win. I mean, that's what I was
getting paid to do. That's what people care about. They
don't care how pretty I look at doing things, and
maybe some people do nowadays. But at the end of
the day, and I think I learned that and maybe
(30:26):
got a little harder spot on my heart playing in
New York is because that's really all they care about.
You know, I can go out and hit five thousand
home runs or score eighty goals in a season, but
if I'm not winning games, they don't care. They might
be like, oh, yeah, the rest of the team sucks
and Clint's great, but that's not the case. They want winners.
(30:49):
And you know, I learned that a lot, you know,
going in the New York area and realizing that I
was just a small fish in a huge pond and
to go out there, and you know, if you're going
to put a stamp on something and have to make
yourself notice, you got to go out there and you
got to win. And it's about doing what you can
(31:10):
and everything in your ability to go out there and win.
And once you become a winner in that type of area,
in that New York area, you know you're going to
be beloved.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
And you know if I you know, that's a great question, Matt,
because it's hard to it's hard to actually ask Clint.
You know, is there a player that particularly reminds you
of you? Right, because it's hard to find it from
you know, from my end, I can tell you that
I know the American pool pretty well of players. And
if I had to compare somebody to Clint, I would
(31:40):
have to I would have to say a combination of players, right,
So I would have to say, for example, the skill
the skill of like like Christian Pulisic with with the
mentality of like a luna with the speed of like
a ballaguan, where so I'd have to come up with
like a bunch of things that would make it into
(32:00):
one in order to match that.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
And he a multi talented player was Clint math Is
and a guy who who learned some I guess tough
lessons based upon what you were saying in terms of
like getting that hardness on your heart from playing in
New York. Is there a lesson that you learned while
wearing a US jersey that has stuck with you over
(32:25):
the years.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
I mean, just I mean you got to enjoy it
while you got it. I think my national team career
was cut a little short from internal things that we
could talk about, but it's not really worth it. I
don't think it was due to you know, playing ability
(32:47):
or anything like that. I think it was you know,
personnel and things of that sort, which I think people
hears down the road later realized that a mistake was made.
But yeah, my career ended pretty early with the national team.
It was in two thousand and five. Also happened when
I came back from Germany to play in Salt Lake,
(33:09):
which was not a good situation the first season, so
there was a lot of things that happened there. So
I think with the national team, just enjoy it. Why
you got it. You don't know when it's going to
be taken away for you from you. In the professional world,
people think that the players have all to say so
or anything like that, but it's not the case. You know,
(33:30):
you look at so many soccer players careers go in
a different direction because they don't mesh with a coach
or he's not and their plans or that coach brings
in their players that they're loyaled. You don't know what's
happening behind those closed doors, So enjoy every minute to
be able to represent your country, like tab said, to
be one of those eleven guys out on the field
(33:52):
with your hand over your heart, plan for a country
like the flag you know behind me, and just say, hey,
this is something special. Nobody cares about the other stuff. Yeah,
how many Instagram clicks or whatever the crap they call nowadays.
I have no idea, But it's not about that. It's
(34:12):
about representing your country and knowing that you're doing something
special and it's going to be something that you'll never forget,
you know, the rest of your life. As an individual.
Other people might forget it, but that's something special that
nobody can give you and nobody can take away from you.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
And that's a really good point about the national team.
So you know, just you know, taking it back to
my own experience. So I happen to be on the
national team from you know, nineteen eighty eight to two thousand.
But in that period of time, there were three World Cups.
It was a ninety ninety four and ninety eight. And
although some people may think, oh, that's your generation of
players that you came through, there may have been two
(34:54):
hundred players that were part of that process, and in
the end it was really just Eric Guanala in myself
that made it through the three World Cups. So sometimes,
you know, to Clint's point, you know, sometimes you don't
value the moments that you have and sometimes I get
a little bit upset, and I have been over the
last seven or eight years when we talked about our
(35:14):
national team as as we're developing players for the next
World Cup, And to me, that's not the national team
and the national team should always be who are the
best players that we have today? And let's take the
best players that we have today and let's go beat
that country today. What's going to happen next year, We
don't know, because you're going to depend on your moments,
You're going to depend on your club, You're going to
(35:35):
depend on there's so many things outside of the national
team that you have to depend on in order to
get on the national team. That's very difficult, you know. Sometimes,
you know, long careers on the national team are taken
from granted thinking, hey, you know, so and so is
a great player, so they must have been on the
national team for ten twelve years. It doesn't always work
out that way. There's hundreds of players that go up
(35:55):
and down in those periods of time, and it's very difficult.
And any time you have an opportunity to play for
the national team and put your hand over your heart
and listen to the national anthem, you really should truly
enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, and next segment, we are going to find out
Clint's best eleven for the US men's national team of
all time. Guys who put their hands over their heart
and enjoyed it and then performed left their mark on
the game. Here in the meantime, we're taking a break.
Thanks for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review
and subscribe.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
We'll be right back here.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
All right, folks, welcome back to Inside American Soccer. I'll
respect to everyone who has ever played for the US
men's national team, but we have Clint Mathis here and
we're gonna ask Clint to pick his starting eleven to
win one match at the World Cup. Everyone's in their prime.
Who are the guys you're going with? And I just
want our listeners to know that Tad was trying to
(37:01):
make sure he was weaseling his way into the spot
in the brain.
Speaker 4 (37:05):
But this whole, this whole process is on the up
and up.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
I want to assure you no undue influence has taken
place here.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Yes, and just so you know it, break, I did
not change any of my people, so I've kept him
the saying. And this has been done way before this
show even started. So you are going to see some
bias here. Uh, you are going to see some positional changes.
But this is who I would go and coach and
(37:34):
take to the World Cup, and I think this team
would do pretty damn well. So in goal, I'm gonna
have Tim Howard left back. I'm gonna have DeMarcus Beasley
center back. I'm gonna have Eddie Pope paired alongside Pablo
(37:55):
Mastroani right back. I'm going to have Steve Tarndelo. I'm
gonna have two holding midfielders. One's gonna be more of
an up and down kind of guy. One's gonna hold
a little bit more that first one's gonna be John O'Brien,
who I have to say is probably my favorite US
(38:19):
soccer player behind Tab. The next one is gonna be
Chris Armis, I have to say, my favorite holding midfielder
to play with between him and Pablo. That's why I
put Pablo at center back because I know he can
play center back and he can get forward as wealth
he needs. Then in front of them, I would have
(38:41):
the one and only tab Remos on the left side
pension end to where DeMarcus could get up and down
would be Clint Dempsey. On the other side pension in
where Steve could get up and down would be Landon Donovan,
and then up top we would have the big Header.
(39:05):
Brian McBride.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
First of all, you're too humble. You didn't put yourself
in that.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
That's why that's why I said I'm coaching this team.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
All right, good, good. I mean that's a great lineup.
If you don't mind, Matt, I'm gonna go back to
mind so he can see how I'd laid mine out right.
So I had Tony, I had Tony and Gold three
defenders Lalas Kevin Crowe who you may not know in
Marcelo Baboa. And then across the midfield, I had you
on the right with hearts and Rick Davis as holding
(39:36):
mids and uh Hugo Perez on the left side, I
had Landing as a as uh the attacking more of
an attack in mid with win all then McBride up front,
so we had some that's good. Yeah, we had definitely,
definitely McBride. I mean McBride was great.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
He's been our really main only true number nine that
was good in the air, would hold up the ball,
distribute it back and then start running to get in
the box.
Speaker 5 (40:07):
Right and by the way things together and by the way,
we had dun sith here, you know, a few weeks back,
and I asked him to talk a little bit about
John O'Brien because you know, it's great what you said
about John.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
O'Brien, but most most fans wouldn't know him, and he
was such a great player, and I asked him to
talk a little bit more about him so they get
to know him. But yeah, what a great player, right
quin Clint?
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Yeah, he was. I mean, I'm not saying this with
any like level of like joking around. He was probably
the most skilled American player I've ever seen.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
And he showed it on that famous goal that you
scored against South Korea in the two thousand and two
World Cup, dropping a dime. It was a right foot
first touch and then a one touch finish with your left.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Am I remembering that correctly, Quint?
Speaker 2 (40:59):
That's correct? Yeah? And then I don't know how you
even't got that ball there because he just basketball through
a water hose because he didn't have much for room
to do it. And I don't know how he even
saw me. But if he could have stayed healthy for
a lot longer, I mean that that kid was unbelievable
with his feet. He was.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
There were a lot of ifs from that team back then.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
Of course, if John O'Brien had stayed healthy, he would
have ended up on Barcelona. If things had worked out
forre Clent math as he would have ended up perhaps
on Bayern Munich, but.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
The league I actually had a signed contract. What a
lot of people don't know is we had a weekend
off at the Metro Stars where we didn't have a game.
Uh So I actually flew to Germany and met with
Carl's Carl Heins rumenega Ulians and actually signed a contract
(41:57):
with him, but the league wouldn't sell me.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
Yeah, so bad times back in the day.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Another story into that one.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
Yeah, well, we'll get you on for another.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
One that happened nowadays. Put it that way, No, I don't.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Think it would, but yeah, Clint, we appreciate you coming
and joining us before this show. We all appreciate uh
the memories you gave us in that wonderful two thousand
and two World Cup, and some of us appreciate what
you did with the MetroStars as well, including this guy
right here is one oh one.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Back in the day.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
It has been a pleasure having you on. Uh TAB
and I big fans of yours always and forever, and
to our listeners, thank you for being with us on
this show and listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate,
review and subscribe and we will see you next week.
He dribbled everyone and then he I think the goalkeepers
coming out, but I'm open. I made the run the
whole way. I ran my bavy yards with Clint and
I'm open in front of goal, and he decided to
suit it.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
But I still it is day. Don't even know that
I knew that you were there.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Greeting folks, and welcome to Inside America in Soccer. I'm
your host, Matt Doyle holding down the fort for Tom Boger.
I'm joined by one of the greatest players in US
soccer history, a veteran of three World Cups, Tab Ramos,
and we are bringing back US soccer legend and Tab's
favorite player and also.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Mine Clinton mathis Cleaytens. Thank you for joining us by friend.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
No problem, thanks for having me.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
So on today's show, we're gonna interview Clint.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
We're going to talk about his most memorable moments, both
for club and country.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
We're gonna talk about his upbringing a little bit.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Came from Conyers, Georgia, outside of Atlanta, not traditionally known
as a hotbed, but he may have paid the way
a little bit. As we see more Southerners breaking into
the top flight, not just in the US but overseas
as well, highs and lows. Plus we are going to
ask him to name his all time US men's national
team starting eleven tab. Did you slip him the envelope
(01:16):
to make sure that your name is in that eleven?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
I tried, but you know, Clint always goes with the heart,
so I'm sure he's gonna pick whoever he thinks is right.
And by the way, I'm gonna be totally okay with that.
It's great. It's just great to have Clint on, you
know we I've been fortunate enough to sort of end
my career with Clint be in my roommate for the
last couple of years, and I truly enjoyed seeing seeing
(01:41):
his rise into stardom.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
You know, not that he.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Wasn't already a little bit of a start when he
came to the Metro Stars from LA but I think
once he joined the New York team and the Metro
Stars at the time, that's sort of where he really
took off, absolutely for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
So I was gonna say I was gonna transition back
to your up because we'll get into the Metro Stars
bit in a minute.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I just want to talk.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
About the fact that you grew up in Conyers, Georgia
in the nineteen eighties. It's a college football hopbed right.
It's not like it's a great basketball area. It's not
a place.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
It's not Carneie. It's that where Tap grew up. It's
not out California.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
How did you come to the game and how did
you end up being such a complete and technical player
given the standards.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, so, I mean, I think it's kind of funny.
I have two older brothers and an older sister, so
it goes myself and my sisters five years older. And
then I have an eight and a half year older
brother and a ten year older brother. So I was
definitely the mistake that happened. But that's okay, I don't
mind that. But yeah, being around my older siblings, I
(02:50):
think really just gave me that competitiveness drive and things
of that sort. And you know, my brothers, they were
big time wrestlers.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
They also played football, but they also played soccer. Uh.
And then when I would go to their high school games,
I would be the ball boy. So I was around soccer,
I was around all sports.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
So I played literally everything, uh, you know under the sun.
Uh as far as kids could play. I mean I
did golf, I did bowling, I did wrestling, I did basketball. Uh,
they wouldn't let me do soccer, or excuse me, football
because one of my brothers got hurt. So that's the
one sport I could never be allowed to play. But
(03:32):
there was something fascinating that about soccer that granted you
don't use your hands and then be able to, you know,
do the things that you can do with your feet
was pretty foreign. Uh you know, I think to a
lot of people, especially in the South, so it was
one of those things that you know, I'd like to
be indifferent. Uh not many people were doing it. So
(03:55):
I just looked at something like that and really enjoyed it.
So I just continue to play that, and at a
young age, it was something that kind of clicked with me.
I still continue to play all the other sports. And
then I think it was my after my junior year
of high school, I used to play basketball and football,
and then I decided to just stick with soccer and
(04:17):
focus on that after my junior year of high school
and everything else took off and told the story itself there.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, I have to say, and I'm not sure how
you did that, But you just mentioned that you continue
to play basketball for a little while. But you know,
I'm sure you remember at Keene University we had the
basketball court that you know, before the coaches arrived. Everybody
used to go in and play. And I want to
say that I played, and although I wasn't a terrible
(04:47):
basketball player, I could play. But to be able to
see how you played basketball and how Tim Howard played
basketball was certainly a different level. And I have to say,
you know, and sometimes I I say this about Tony
Meola sometimes too. There's just certain guys that are just
great at every sport, and Clint happens to be one
of those.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Well, thank you Tap when you when you met Clint
right after that trade from the Galaxy to the Metro Stars.
And for those who aren't aware, it was a really convoluted,
very early MLS trade, one where there were deals made
in dark rooms by people nobody knows, and that's how
Clint ended up with the Metro Stars and kind of
(05:29):
saved helped save a franchise that had been in the
doulgrums for a year.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
But Tab, what was your impression of him?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Because you knew he was an attacking player, but then
he comes and you see how versatile he is and
how skillful he is, and was it just instantly like, oh,
I have a kindred spirit now on the field with me.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Well, at first, I think I had a little bit
of that arrogance that we all seemed to have, you know,
in New Jersey as part of everyday life, right, which is, okay,
so we're getting some player from la who's from Georgia.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Why do I care? Really?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
You know, like that? And then and then you realize
the ability, right, And then you realize why not only
the ability, but then you realized his way to connect
with people, and you realize the charisma that Clint had
immediately when he walked into a room. You know. Not
everybody's like this, you know. I think Clint had a
(06:24):
lot of special qualities like that were automatically when you
walked into locker room. He was just very well liked.
And I think that's something that at the time. We
were building a nice team at the time, if you
know Clint, if you remember the year two thousand, I
think we had the best team in the league. We
happened not to win that year, but I think we
we actually should have won MLS Cup. I think that's
(06:45):
the year that Kansas City won and we've got knocked
out by Chicago. But my point was we were building
something good at the time, and I think Clint, one
of was one of those pieces that became the glue
between sort of the American and the foreign players. We
had Lotha Mittea's, we had, you know, we had some big,
superstar guys, but I think Clint's charisma match with its
(07:09):
talent was the glue that kind of brought that team together.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, that was a special team. I mean, like you said,
you brought up Lothar, I got to play a little
bit closer between Tab and Adolpho Valencia, who was an
unbelievable player. So you know that means a lot saying that.
You know, I was that glue there. But I mean,
I think all these teams have these little pieces that
(07:34):
are needed, and Tad was right that that team was
being a team that was a good team being built.
Uh And if I was the last piece to come
in there, I was happy to be that piece because
it was a it was a great transition and to
see how how good that team really was. Obviously going
up against a team like Chicago, which was a great
(07:56):
team first year franchise and had these unbelievable Europea on
players or whatever. So you know, Bob Bradley did a
good team, good job building that team as well, but
I definitely think we had the best team and we
were the team to watch out for, especially that year.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I remember you you kind of hit that hit that
team like a thunderbolt when you arrived. It was every
week you were scoring, You were assistant, and you're kind
of the skeleton key that ended up unlocking a lot
of the attacking stuff that you early.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
In the season.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I think everybody had seen it, but there was just
that one centerpiece missing, and that's the role you kind
of played, Clint, and I guess the the the high
point of all that was it was a hot summer
night in Dallas in August of two thousand and you
went out and you said an MLS record scoring five goals,
(08:49):
and Table course was on the field with you that night,
and it just kind of all came together for you
and and for the MetroStars on that day.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, Sony is you know, every once in a while
when this kid's asked, I like telling the story because
I think it's a good life lesson too, whether it's
kids or anybody that is listening or watching or whatnot.
But you would think that everything was just going in
my favor that day. But at the beginning, it's hot,
it's muggy, everything like that. And I think I took
(09:21):
six shots that game. I could be wrong, but you
can ask the statistician stattician. But the very first shot,
I think I might have hurt the popcorn guy really
bad because it was so far away from goal in
the stand somewhere. And you know, the lesson learned there is,
don't worry about what happened. Worry about the next play
(09:45):
because you can't do anything about what just happened. And
literally everything just laid in place. In the next five attempts,
I put it goal, We're in the back of the net.
And to add to that story, I think we were winning.
It was either three nothing or three. I think it
might have been three to one in the locker room,
and everybody was happy. I just had a hat trick,
(10:07):
so I'm happy. Everything's going good. And then all of
a sudden we come out and Dallas scores three goals.
We're losing four to three, and I am absolutely just livid,
and I'm screaming about the defense. I think I was
yelling at Mike Pecky at one time. I was like,
get this crap together, what are we doing? And then
(10:28):
you know, I was able to go in and score
two more to put us up five to four. And
then these guys were literally trying to kill me, so
I asked the coach, hey, we only got a few
more minutes left due these guys are going to be
breaking my legs. Soon crowd was booing me and everything,
so I was able to get out of their unscathed.
And then I think at Dulphos scored a six goal
for us to win six to four. So one of
(10:51):
those games that I won't forget. It's pretty cool to
be able to do that. Not many people can say
that they scored five goals in a game, so I'll
take that. But the most important thing was getting the
win out of there, and to this day I think
that rosewell or excuse me, the Cotton Bowl is probably
one of my favorite places to play, even though nobody
(11:11):
gets to play there too much anymore.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, well, you know, it's easy to define it as
your favorite when you scored five goals, right, Dallas.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Has always been my favorite team to play because I
think that year we played them like three times because
we would play them in the playoffs or whatever happened.
But I think we played them three times that year,
and I think I scored ten goals on them that season.
So they're my favorite team to play. That's why I
like the Cotton Bowl as well.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
No, and by the way, Matt You's saying that night
in Dallas, we wish it was that night in Dallas.
It was actually it was actually like before in the afternoon,
ae hundred degree weather day at the Cotton Bowl.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, so what was extremely the whistle blue and the
game was over the.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Exactly hey for me, For me to be honest, I
think I played the whole game, but I think it
was night. Right around the twenty fifth minutes.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Her eyes were closed.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Yeah, Aleck, Clint do all the heavy lifted on that one.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
But then it came back to buy.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You a year later, Tab But when Clint scored the
two thousand and one goal of the year for the
Metro Stars on a terrible field and Clint chose not
to pass to you instead, are you bitter about that now?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Twenty five years later, do you think he made the
right show?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
No, you know, I'm trying to figure out how you
found that out. You must have read that somewhere, because
I know that Clint dribbled everybody, like down the whole field, right,
that's the goal. It was that. It was that giant stadium.
He dribbled everyone and then he I think the goalkeepers
coming out, but I'm open. I made the run the
whole way. I ran like eighty yards with Clint and
(12:50):
I'm open in front of goal, and he decided to
shoot it.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
But I still do the state don't even know that
I knew that you were there, because I guess because
people were like, well would you even want to dribble
that far? When you have you look up and you
see two or three people in front of you. If
I remember it directly, we actually had someone ejected, so
I think we were down a man, I could be.
(13:13):
And then we had a corner kick and so that
I was at the top of the box and the
ball came out, and so I was there with the
ball and I was like, well, I have no one
to kick it up to because we're down to man.
So I just took off dribbling, and I was like,
I'm just going to keep going right.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
It was a cow pasture, it was not a field
that was in the best condition. But you scored that
one and then you turned your jersey around in celebration,
you showed your your last name to the crowd.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
It was I mean, there was.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
A there was a sort of a magical, almost rockstar
type of thing to it right there. And was that
your mindset in those days, like Okay, let's let's put
on a show.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Let's make sure these people are So it.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Was definitely different on the field than I was off.
I was definitely more mellow off the field. I always
tell everybody that once you cross that line, I'll tackle
my mother if she's on the other team, but I'll
pick her up and take her for a beer after
the game. And that's the way I was, or tried
to be with everybody. You know throughout the league. You
(14:17):
know you're my enemy when we're playing against each other.
It's about going out doing what I need to take,
you know, nothing like dirty or anything like that, per se,
but try to get the job done. So I was
very an emotional type of player, very energetic type of players.
So I like to talk smack, I'd like to get
(14:38):
crowd involved, or most of the time the crowd was
booing me or whatever, you know, I would say something
back to him. So I was one of those guys,
but definitely different on the field wearing that jersey than
I was off the field, for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
And you know, and I think that's why the crowd
identified so much with Clint because of you know, at
the time. I'm not sure, Matt, if you were I
guess you might have been a fan of the time
right if you're in the area. But you know, the
crowd absolutely loved Clint and loved his commitment on the field.
I mean, although I mean you can tell by his
demeanor what he's like off the field. He was always
(15:15):
this way. He didn't just become this way now.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
On the field.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
He had no friends, and I think that's what that's
what the fans in this area really identify with, with
the guys that go on the field to just do
anything to win and don't care about having friends. And
I think that's why there was that immediate connection with
the crowd.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
I still don't have the connection with the crowd, and
then not sure, you gotta at least do Clint I
promise that connection with the crowd.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
And of course the way you played in two thousand
opened up doors to the national team, and you ended
up being one of the faces of the national team
for the two thousand and two World Cup, even coming
off of devastating injury. And then you don't start the
first game, but the second game of the group stage
you started in South Korea against the host nation and
(16:05):
you stood on the field for the national anthem, that
big flag behind you.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
What what was that feeling like for you?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
It's one of the best feelings ever, I mean, especially
how it ended up turning out. It's a game I'll
never forget, just the way that everything played out, playing
the you know, it was the first time that it
was hosted by two countries, Japan and South Korea, but
playing the host country in their city in Seoul, being
(16:33):
able to go and play against them. You look around
at that time for people that don't know, that was
called the Red Sea because they would all wear their
red jerseys out in the city and everything and had
literally looked like red water flowing through the cities because
there were so many people. But I remember back in
(16:54):
those games you couldn't hear anything. I mean even if
we were, you know, pretty much standing next to each other,
it was hard to hear each other. And it was
a loud game. The South Koreans were like robots, running
their tails off and then being able to get that
unbelievable ball from John O'Brien to lay down and be
able to take that first touch and finish the second
one was like the biggest sigh of relief. If you
(17:17):
go back and watch that after a score and I
run to the corner flag, you see like Brian McBride
hugging me, and then I think Claudio puts his arms
around us, and Claudia is like, just stay here in
the corner, stay here in the corner so we could
all get our breath back, because you know, the South
Koreans they were crazy fit and running everywhere. But the
(17:37):
one thing I remember the most is, and I tell
this to people all the time, how they always ask,
how is it you know, to feel where eighty thousand
people are cheering for you? I mean, what is that feeling?
And I was like, well, that feeling's good, but a
better feeling is having eighty thousand people root against you
and shutting every single one of them up. And that's
(17:57):
what happened in South Korea. I mean, we had probably
a few hundred people at the game, whether it be family, friends,
you know, fans or whatever, on the far other end
of the corner, and that's all you could hear. I mean,
you could literally almost hear a pin drop in that
stadium of how quiet it got. And you know, that's
a feeling I'll never forget till the day I die.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
That goal against South Korea in the World Cup. That
had to be your best moment in the US Jersey
or was there another one that stands out for you?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
No, for sure, That's definitely the best moment. I mean,
I just think the build up, the situation ends up
so happening we lose that game or the next game,
because we tied that one, so we beat Portugal, tied
that game. That goal actually gets us through just because
of the points that we had because Portugal ended up
(18:49):
losing to South Korea. So South Korea helped us out
to get through that. But you know, if you take
all that into account, to be able to score that
goal against the host country and be able to put
us through out of that group, stage. That's definitely the
best goal of my national team career for sure.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Tad.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
How did it feel for you to be watching that
one or to see it on highlights because it happened
at about three am the journey.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
No, No, it was amazing, truly amazing, and more importantly
because I knew Clint the person, you know, and I
knew where he was coming from, and I knew when
he celebrated a certain way, how he felt. You know,
I really felt like I identified with Clint and how he
felt in the game, and so I always had a
strong connection with Clint that way, and it was really
(19:36):
special to me to see him score and not load
to what Clint was saying about, you know, standing there
for the national anthem. You know, sometimes when you become
a longtime national team player, you know there are many
times when you walk on the field and you have
the opportunity to listen to your national anthem. But sometimes
(19:57):
you get caught up and we have to win this game.
We need two points here, we need a point there,
we need three points here, right, and you seem to
forget really where you are, who you are, and who
you're representing. You're just at the end of the day,
just playing a game. But I have to tell you this,
the World Cup is always different. You know, when you're
listening to your national anthem at the World Cup, there's
a special feeling that is different than any other game.
(20:21):
You know, the whole world is watching, and you know
you're fortunate enough, regardless of how good someone is, or
how good you are, or how good the next guy is,
that you're so fortunate to be one of eleven people
representing your whole country and that that truly is special.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
You guys follow that up the group stage with a
most famous performance in recent US national teams I think
maybe ever the two nil win the Delsa Sero over Mexico. Now,
you didn't feature in that one, but I imagine the
celebration in the locker room afterwards must have been legendary.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Clinton amazing. Obviously there's no blood lost between that rivalry
and it continues to happen uh nowadays. Being part of
that first Dosi Cetro and Columbus, Uh, that really kind
of started this whole trend type hathing the pasmer that
(21:18):
exactly and so and getting subbed into that because Josh
goes in and that game to rewind. It's just funny
how things pan out and how I think God looks
after you and paves a way for you. But Brian
gets his face smashed in, so Josh goes in, and
then I think Claudio gets hurt, so then I sub in,
(21:39):
and then guess what starts the dosi cetto there uh
with Mexico. But yeah, that game at the World Cup,
you know, just watching from the sideline, but just literally itching,
wanting to get in because of everything that's going on
with the you know, Marquez foul against Kobe and just
multiple things have happening, so you know, a lot of
(22:00):
bad blood between those I think especially it might not
happen as much today. I'm not sure, but you know,
those were just some battles against that era of Mexican
players and US players. And then the funny thing is is, yeah,
there was a celebration after not only to be able
to win that second round match, but also do it
(22:22):
against a team like Mexico, which everybody would always say, hey, yeah,
Mexico is better. I think it my stint. I don't
think in the games that I've played that ever lost
against Mexico. I didn't get to play in the one
where we played it as Teca, I think I was
injured or I was out that game for some reason.
But all the other games never lost to Mexico, And yeah,
(22:45):
just to have that feeling to beat them at a
World Cup on that world stage was amazing. And then
you know, we may or may not have had some
beers ready for us after the game. But the funniest
part about the story is after the game, you see
all them walk out. They got their wives and their
nice purses and everything like that and kids, and you know,
(23:08):
we're just sitting there hanging out, you know, waiting to
get on our bus. They take off and then we
get in our bus, have our beer on the bus,
and then as we're driving, you see a bus that's
pulled over on the side of the road. And we
had our caravan of all the security that was going
on with Osama bin Laden and everything. So we had
all kinds of military police and everything with us, because
(23:31):
everybody thought that the US team was going to get
killed somehow. And so we're going by and it happens
to be the Mexico bus that was pulled over the
sidelines or on the side of the road. And then
We're all hanging out the windows with our beers, just
started cheering like crazy as we're passing the bus. So
it was an awesome feeling. It just so happened that
(23:52):
it worked out that way. But I guess the plan's
always written how it's supposed to. That was a fun
celebration for sure.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
After that victory and the next game, the famous Torsten
Frings handball on the line. If there was var back
in the day, that one probably would have been a
lot different. Do you believe that you guys would have
won if that penalty had been awarded?
Speaker 2 (24:18):
I think so. I mean I think it would have
been a game changer. I mean what a lot of people.
I mean, maybe not a lot of people, but it
always talks about it comes up with a handball of
this and that. Do I think that we would have won?
You never know, because I think that what people miss
a lot is probably the best player on that field
(24:39):
was Oliver Kahan. Ye, the guy absolutely had a blinder.
It wasn't just that. I mean, we had some really
really good chances and he came up with some unbelievable saves.
Would that have been another one that he came up
with We'll never know, but I definitely think that that
could have been the straw to break the camel's back,
is if that is called and then they're already saying
(25:02):
or already thinking that, Hey, the US is all over
us right now, Oliver is really the only one that's
saving us. We get that penalty, we get that goal.
I definitely think it changes the mood of that team
and builds that confidence in the US to where you
could see a win. And then we win that game,
We're back at playing South Korea again in the semi
(25:25):
finals of a World Cup and who would have thought
that the US or South Korea would end up being
in the finals. So that would have been a fun
little story to read about if that happened. But then again,
I believe everything happens for a reason, and it just
wasn't our time to go further.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And again the pressure is off, right because you know,
against Germany, not expected to win, US is the underdog
and play and lose almost wins the game, And who
knows what would have happened on the next one, because
it would have been the same, right, All the pressure
would have been on the South Koreans if that was
going to be the the the and with no pressure on.
We've always been a team to fear.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Absolutely, just hope that we see some of that. Let's
hope that we see some of that this summer at
the World Cup for the US team, who of course
will be under some pressure, but for us, it's time
for a break up. Next, we'll ask Clint about a
current player that reminds him of himself. We'll ask him
about his rockstar persona as described by Ryan Dunsath back
in the day.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
And in the meantime, we're going to.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Ask you to please rate, review, and subscribe to Inside
American Soccer with Tom Boger and Tam Ramos wherever you
get your podcasts. Okay, folks, welcome back to Inside American Soccer.
(26:47):
I'm Mettal hosting for Tom Boger. I'm joined, of course
by Tom Ramos, and we're joined by Clint Mathis, the
guy who took the Metro Stars by storm back in
two thousand and then became something of our rock star.
As for our good friend Brian dun Seth who described
going to the clubs with you back in the day, Clinton.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
I don't know what he was talking about. Yeah, I
pleaded the fifth. Nah, No, I was. I definitely enjoyed.
I mean, that's I think what caused a lot of drama.
You know throughout my career is going out and doing
things that not the normal guy did. But at that time,
you know, I was in New York, a small a
(27:31):
small town Conyers where I grew up, moved to LA
and then moved to New York City. So I was
fortunate enough to meet a lot of influential people that
allowed me to get to meet some really cool, famous
people that I would never normally get to meet, especially
in Conyers unless it was the local bull rider or something.
(27:53):
I don't know, but uh yeah, No, I enjoyed myself.
But I think that that's what really allowed me to
just be that person that was free going out on
the field. Was it the best where I could have
the longevity of my career or anything like that, especially
how you need to take care of your body and stuff.
Absolutely not. Would I change anything, Probably not, because that
(28:18):
just gave me that freedom to say, Hey, I go
out and work hard, and I go and do my job.
I do everything that I need to do on the field.
I should be able to get to enjoy it. Off
the field as well, So maybe I shouldn't have done
it as much, But you know, you live life and
you learn from life, and no, I definitely enjoyed, enjoyed
myself and maybe did have this rock star persona. I
(28:41):
think at one point somebody called me the Dennis Rodman
of soccer. I don't know if I would go that far.
Was it like I was doing drugs or anything like that,
But I did like to have fun and go out.
Never did it the night before a game or day
before a game or anything like that. At least I
gave myself the day when I can't promise you on
(29:03):
two days before.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Is there a carrier part of the persona, I guess
is the confidence in the swagger that you carried yourself
with on the field. And Taba said, like, there's a
difference between Clint on the field and Clint off the
field in terms of how open and so like.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Even in the midst.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Of enjoying yourself in the way that you so eloquently
just described, you were kind of a killer once you
got in between the white lines. And is there a
player that reminds you of yourself in that way you
see them playing? You're like, Oh, that's kind of like me.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Oh, that's kind of tough to say. I mean a
lot of these guys I don't know personally because I
mean I'm not around them or anything like that. That
might be one we have to stick on a stick
in a pin, stick a pin in it just for
a second and let me think as we're talking a
little bit more. But there's a a couple guys that
you know, might come to mind that it was pretty
(30:03):
much like a f off type of guy that I
think people would pretty much call me is because you know,
I was that guy that literally went out there to
just try to win. I mean, that's what I was
getting paid to do. That's what people care about. They
don't care how pretty I look at doing things, and
maybe some people do nowadays. But at the end of
the day, and I think I learned that and maybe
(30:26):
got a little harder spot on my heart playing in
New York is because that's really all they care about.
You know, I can go out and hit five thousand
home runs or score eighty goals in a season, but
if I'm not winning games, they don't care. They might
be like, oh, yeah, the rest of the team sucks
and Clint's great, but that's not the case. They want winners.
(30:49):
And you know, I learned that a lot, you know,
going in the New York area and realizing that I
was just a small fish in a huge pond and
to go out there, and you know, if you're going
to put a stamp on something and have to make
yourself notice, you got to go out there and you
got to win. And it's about doing what you can
(31:10):
and everything in your ability to go out there and win.
And once you become a winner in that type of area,
in that New York area, you know you're going to
be beloved.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
And you know if I you know, that's a great question, Matt,
because it's hard to it's hard to actually ask Clint.
You know, is there a player that particularly reminds you
of you? Right, because it's hard to find it from
you know, from my end, I can tell you that
I know the American pool pretty well of players. And
if I had to compare somebody to Clint, I would
(31:40):
have to I would have to say a combination of players, right,
So I would have to say, for example, the skill
the skill of like like Christian Pulisic with with the
mentality of like a luna with the speed of like
a ballaguan, where so I'd have to come up with
like a bunch of things that would make it into
(32:00):
one in order to match that.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
And he a multi talented player was Clint math Is
and a guy who who learned some I guess tough
lessons based upon what you were saying in terms of
like getting that hardness on your heart from playing in
New York. Is there a lesson that you learned while
wearing a US jersey that has stuck with you over
(32:25):
the years.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
I mean, just I mean you got to enjoy it
while you got it. I think my national team career
was cut a little short from internal things that we
could talk about, but it's not really worth it. I
don't think it was due to you know, playing ability
(32:47):
or anything like that. I think it was you know,
personnel and things of that sort, which I think people
hears down the road later realized that a mistake was made.
But yeah, my career ended pretty early with the national team.
It was in two thousand and five. Also happened when
I came back from Germany to play in Salt Lake,
(33:09):
which was not a good situation the first season, so
there was a lot of things that happened there. So
I think with the national team, just enjoy it. Why
you got it. You don't know when it's going to
be taken away for you from you. In the professional world,
people think that the players have all to say so
or anything like that, but it's not the case. You know,
(33:30):
you look at so many soccer players careers go in
a different direction because they don't mesh with a coach
or he's not and their plans or that coach brings
in their players that they're loyaled. You don't know what's
happening behind those closed doors, So enjoy every minute to
be able to represent your country, like tab said, to
be one of those eleven guys out on the field
(33:52):
with your hand over your heart, plan for a country
like the flag you know behind me, and just say, hey,
this is something special. Nobody cares about the other stuff. Yeah,
how many Instagram clicks or whatever the crap they call nowadays.
I have no idea, But it's not about that. It's
(34:12):
about representing your country and knowing that you're doing something
special and it's going to be something that you'll never forget,
you know, the rest of your life. As an individual.
Other people might forget it, but that's something special that
nobody can give you and nobody can take away from you.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
And that's a really good point about the national team.
So you know, just you know, taking it back to
my own experience. So I happen to be on the
national team from you know, nineteen eighty eight to two thousand.
But in that period of time, there were three World Cups.
It was a ninety ninety four and ninety eight. And
although some people may think, oh, that's your generation of
players that you came through, there may have been two
(34:54):
hundred players that were part of that process, and in
the end it was really just Eric Guanala in myself
that made it through the three World Cups. So sometimes,
you know, to Clint's point, you know, sometimes you don't
value the moments that you have and sometimes I get
a little bit upset, and I have been over the
last seven or eight years when we talked about our
(35:14):
national team as as we're developing players for the next
World Cup, And to me, that's not the national team
and the national team should always be who are the
best players that we have today? And let's take the
best players that we have today and let's go beat
that country today. What's going to happen next year, We
don't know, because you're going to depend on your moments,
You're going to depend on your club, You're going to
(35:35):
depend on there's so many things outside of the national
team that you have to depend on in order to
get on the national team. That's very difficult, you know. Sometimes,
you know, long careers on the national team are taken
from granted thinking, hey, you know, so and so is
a great player, so they must have been on the
national team for ten twelve years. It doesn't always work
out that way. There's hundreds of players that go up
(35:55):
and down in those periods of time, and it's very difficult.
And any time you have an opportunity to play for
the national team and put your hand over your heart
and listen to the national anthem, you really should truly
enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, and next segment, we are going to find out
Clint's best eleven for the US men's national team of
all time. Guys who put their hands over their heart
and enjoyed it and then performed left their mark on
the game. Here in the meantime, we're taking a break.
Thanks for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review
and subscribe.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
We'll be right back here.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
All right, folks, welcome back to Inside American Soccer. I'll
respect to everyone who has ever played for the US
men's national team, but we have Clint Mathis here and
we're gonna ask Clint to pick his starting eleven to
win one match at the World Cup. Everyone's in their prime.
Who are the guys you're going with? And I just
want our listeners to know that Tad was trying to
(37:01):
make sure he was weaseling his way into the spot
in the brain.
Speaker 4 (37:05):
But this whole, this whole process is on the up
and up.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
I want to assure you no undue influence has taken
place here.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Yes, and just so you know it, break, I did
not change any of my people, so I've kept him
the saying. And this has been done way before this
show even started. So you are going to see some
bias here. Uh, you are going to see some positional changes.
But this is who I would go and coach and
(37:34):
take to the World Cup, and I think this team
would do pretty damn well. So in goal, I'm gonna
have Tim Howard left back. I'm gonna have DeMarcus Beasley
center back. I'm gonna have Eddie Pope paired alongside Pablo
(37:55):
Mastroani right back. I'm going to have Steve Tarndelo. I'm
gonna have two holding midfielders. One's gonna be more of
an up and down kind of guy. One's gonna hold
a little bit more that first one's gonna be John O'Brien,
who I have to say is probably my favorite US
(38:19):
soccer player behind Tab. The next one is gonna be
Chris Armis, I have to say, my favorite holding midfielder
to play with between him and Pablo. That's why I
put Pablo at center back because I know he can
play center back and he can get forward as wealth
he needs. Then in front of them, I would have
(38:41):
the one and only tab Remos on the left side
pension end to where DeMarcus could get up and down
would be Clint Dempsey. On the other side pension in
where Steve could get up and down would be Landon Donovan,
and then up top we would have the big Header.
(39:05):
Brian McBride.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
First of all, you're too humble. You didn't put yourself
in that.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
That's why that's why I said I'm coaching this team.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
All right, good, good. I mean that's a great lineup.
If you don't mind, Matt, I'm gonna go back to
mind so he can see how I'd laid mine out right.
So I had Tony, I had Tony and Gold three
defenders Lalas Kevin Crowe who you may not know in
Marcelo Baboa. And then across the midfield, I had you
on the right with hearts and Rick Davis as holding
(39:36):
mids and uh Hugo Perez on the left side, I
had Landing as a as uh the attacking more of
an attack in mid with win all then McBride up front,
so we had some that's good. Yeah, we had definitely,
definitely McBride. I mean McBride was great.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
He's been our really main only true number nine that
was good in the air, would hold up the ball,
distribute it back and then start running to get in
the box.
Speaker 5 (40:07):
Right and by the way things together and by the way,
we had dun sith here, you know, a few weeks back,
and I asked him to talk a little bit about
John O'Brien because you know, it's great what you said
about John.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
O'Brien, but most most fans wouldn't know him, and he
was such a great player, and I asked him to
talk a little bit more about him so they get
to know him. But yeah, what a great player, right
quin Clint?
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Yeah, he was. I mean, I'm not saying this with
any like level of like joking around. He was probably
the most skilled American player I've ever seen.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
And he showed it on that famous goal that you
scored against South Korea in the two thousand and two
World Cup, dropping a dime. It was a right foot
first touch and then a one touch finish with your left.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Am I remembering that correctly, Quint?
Speaker 2 (40:59):
That's correct? Yeah? And then I don't know how you
even't got that ball there because he just basketball through
a water hose because he didn't have much for room
to do it. And I don't know how he even
saw me. But if he could have stayed healthy for
a lot longer, I mean that that kid was unbelievable
with his feet. He was.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
There were a lot of ifs from that team back then.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
Of course, if John O'Brien had stayed healthy, he would
have ended up on Barcelona. If things had worked out
forre Clent math as he would have ended up perhaps
on Bayern Munich, but.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
The league I actually had a signed contract. What a
lot of people don't know is we had a weekend
off at the Metro Stars where we didn't have a game.
Uh So I actually flew to Germany and met with
Carl's Carl Heins rumenega Ulians and actually signed a contract
(41:57):
with him, but the league wouldn't sell me.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
Yeah, so bad times back in the day.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Another story into that one.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
Yeah, well, we'll get you on for another.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
One that happened nowadays. Put it that way, No, I don't.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Think it would, but yeah, Clint, we appreciate you coming
and joining us before this show. We all appreciate uh
the memories you gave us in that wonderful two thousand
and two World Cup, and some of us appreciate what
you did with the MetroStars as well, including this guy
right here is one oh one.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Back in the day.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
It has been a pleasure having you on. Uh TAB
and I big fans of yours always and forever, and
to our listeners, thank you for being with us on
this show and listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate,
review and subscribe and we will see you next week.
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