SECAUCUS, NJ - Red Bull New York announced today that it has acquired forward Clint Mathis from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for a 2008 fourth round MLS SuperDraft pick and a conditional pick in 2009. Per MLS and team regulations, terms of the deal are undisclosed.
"We are very excited to have Clint come back to a place where he enjoyed tremendous success on the field," said Technical Director Jeff Agoos. "I think he will provide a much needed spark to our attack."
Mathis, 30, is known as one of the most revered and successful players in organization history. He ranks second all-time in New York history in goals with 33 in 67 games and is tied for fifth in assists with 21. In all competitions, Mathis' 39 career goals ranks only second to Giovanni Savarese's 44. The former U.S. National Team star played with New York from 2000-2003 and earned MLS Best XI honors after finishing the 2000 season with 16 goals and 14 assists. That campaign included a five-goal performance against the Dallas Burn on August 26, 2000, where he set the MLS record for most goals in a single game. In 2001, despite injury, Mathis was named to the MLS All-Star Team and in 2002, he missed time with New York due to a number of international commitments.
"I haven't been this excited to play soccer in probably the last three years," Mathis said. "I enjoyed some of the best years of my playing career in New York and that is what pretty much put me on the map. My success was due in large part to the fans there that supported and encouraged me and gave me the confidence to go out on the field and play my best."
"I know a lot of people think that Bruce [Arena] and I aren't the best of friends, but the thing is, me and Bruce have always gotten along. That is why I requested this trade. I wanted to get back and play for Bruce."
Most recently, Mathis was acquired by the Rapids from Real Salt Lake over a year ago in exchange for Jeff Cunningham. The 5-10, 170-pound forward from Conyers, GA appeared in 25 regular season games for the Rapids and tallied two goals and an assist. Mathis also helped the Rapids advance in the Western Conference Finals with a long-range blast that lifted the Rapids to a 3-2 win over top-seeded FC Dallas.
Prior to his stint with Colorado, Mathis recorded three goals and four assists in Real Salt Lake's inaugural season, starting in 27 matches. Before returning to MLS, Mathis had a successful run in 2004 in the German Bundesliga, playing for Hannover 96. Once arriving, Mathis scored four goals in his first five games. He appeared in 18 total games during his time there.
On the international level, Mathis has 46 caps and has found the back of the net 12 times. In the 2002 World Cup, Mathis made three appearances, scoring a goal in a 1-1 draw with South Korea and making a start against Poland, as the U.S. made a surprise and historic run into the competition's quarterfinals. A former member of the U.S. Under-20 squad, Mathis also played a role in the U.S. team's successful qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup.
Mathis was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 1998 MLS College Draft with the sixth overall pick. During his time with L.A., Mathis found the back of the net 15 times and registered 17 assists over 65 appearances (43 starts). Mathis joined New York via a dispersal draft on May 16, 2000 as part of L.A.'s acquisition of Luiz Hernandez.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina, the former two-time All-American and three-time Hermann Trophy finalist was the second U.S. Men's National Team player in history to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated on May 27, 2002.
Clint Mathis
Position: Forward
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
Birthdate: Nov. 25, 1976
Previous Club: Colorado Rapids
College: University of South Carolina
