NOWHERE MAN Slumping Mathis, a man without a position, winds up sitting the Red Bulls bench
Bruce Arena on Clint Mathis: "Clint hasn't scored a goal in a while. That has something to do with it as well. But he's still a player who can help us in the playoffs." Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
Montclair, N.J. -- A reporter approached Clint Mathis at the Red Bulls training facility earlier this week and the veteran midfielder-forward was surprised someone would want to interview him.
"Why would you want to talk to me?" he asked.
Once a vital start on the Red Bulls, Mathis has become, more a less, a forgotten man in coach Bruce Arena's scheme of things in the playoffs.
Mathis hasn't scored a goal or set up one in some 2 1/2 months. Ironically, Mathis was one of five Red Bulls profiled in the MLS playoff media guide, along with Juan Pablo Angel, Claudio Reyna, Jozy Altidore and Dane Richards.
Arena felt it was several factors that have kept Mathis on the bench.
"We have a combination of players that are playing to get onto the field," he said in his office at Montclair State University after practice earlier this week. "Clint is not an outright midfielder, doesn't have the engine to play in a 4-4-2, doesn’t play with his back to the goal. He is in a tough position.
"The addition of Francis Doe gives us another attacker. Richards has been good. He has had some injuries, some issues. It's been a competitive position. Other guys have been more productive. Clint hasn't scored a goal in a while. That has something to do with it as well. But he's still a player who can help us in the playoffs."
Mathis started off like gangbusters, collecting five goals and two assists in his first 10 games as the Red Bulls bolted to a 6-3-3 start.
But since then there has been a precipitous drop-off in his production as he found himself using at various positions, including forward and left and central midfield, the latter usually when Reyna was injured.
Moreover, the 30-year-old Mathis has scored one goal since June 16 -- in the 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy Aug. 18. Since then he has been blanked for a total of 523 minutes, counting the scoreless tie with the New England Revolution in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference playoffs Saturday.
Mathis, who replaced Reyna in the 86th minute Saturday after not playing in the regular-season finale at the Los Angeles Galaxy, has taken his new role on the bench in stride.
"I just have to go with it," he said. "It's a team effort. You have to be ready to be called upon."
Mathis said he didn't "really understand" the demotion.
"I mean, I was playing for a while," he said. "He felt it was better to change it up going towards the end of the season in the playoffs and mix up. There is nothing I can do or say about it, just go out there and try to work hard every day and hopefully I will get a chance to get called upon."
The next opportunity Mathis will get could come in Saturday's game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
"I want the guys to win," Mathis said. "I am here to be part of the team. I want to win. I am out there cheering and everything else. If I get a chance to go out there, I want to go out there and help my teammates win. That's all I really care about doing is winning.
Mathis felt the Red Bulls have a good chance at winning in New England and advancing to the conference final.
"We match up really well," he said. "The game we played there earlier this year, it’s unfortunate how we lost on that pass back. We played them really well."
Mathis was referring to the 2-1 loss to the Revs Aug. 25, which was decided by an 80th-minute own goal back-pass from defender Carlos Mendes to goalkeeper Jon Conway.
"We didn't finish a lot of chances that we should have," he said. "That's the key -- to be able to finish our chances early. Because that's what we haven't been successful doing against New England. I mean, you look at the last game at home, we had quite a few chances early in the game, but we were just not able to finish them off.
"If we go down to New England, play like we have been playing against them this year and just finish one of those off early, I think the outcome of the game is definitely going to change."
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