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Clint Mathis Dealt Back To LA Galaxy
Clint Mathis is back in Southern California for a third stint with the LA Galaxy.
Jan 15, 2010 1:21:00 AM
By Zac Lee Rigg
Things have come full circle for Clint Mathis. Initially drafted sixth overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 1998 MLS College Draft, the 33-year-old returned to his first club today thanks to a trade in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
After two and a half years with the Galaxy, Mathis joined the Metrostars, where his career exploded. Unprecedented skill on the ball for an American attacker and a feisty attitude brought Mathis to the fore on the United States national team and earned him a move to Hannover in the German Bundesliga. In 2002, a gaudy but famous mohawk hairdo sat on Mathis' head as he scored the USA's only goal against South Korea. This came only months after he posed for the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
From there, the Georgia native's career fell off a bit. He bounced around several clubs in MLS before landing back with the Galaxy in 2008. However, after only a handful of preseason games, Mathis left for Ergotelis in Greece.
Since returning, Mathis has cranked out a series of mature and composed performances for Real Salt Lake, which culminated with the Utahans defeating LA in the 2009 MLS Cup final.
Now Mathis will join Los Angeles for his third spell at the club. A draft-day trade saw his rights (and the rights to the 16th overall pick) for the 15th overall pick and a third round selection in the 2011 SuperDraft.
With that 15th selection, RSL nabbed Collen Warner, a midfielder out of the University of Portland. LA followed that pick by selecting midfielder Michael Stephens from UCLA.
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For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
After two and a half years with the Galaxy, Mathis joined the Metrostars, where his career exploded. Unprecedented skill on the ball for an American attacker and a feisty attitude brought Mathis to the fore on the United States national team and earned him a move to Hannover in the German Bundesliga. In 2002, a gaudy but famous mohawk hairdo sat on Mathis' head as he scored the USA's only goal against South Korea. This came only months after he posed for the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
From there, the Georgia native's career fell off a bit. He bounced around several clubs in MLS before landing back with the Galaxy in 2008. However, after only a handful of preseason games, Mathis left for Ergotelis in Greece.
Since returning, Mathis has cranked out a series of mature and composed performances for Real Salt Lake, which culminated with the Utahans defeating LA in the 2009 MLS Cup final.
Now Mathis will join Los Angeles for his third spell at the club. A draft-day trade saw his rights (and the rights to the 16th overall pick) for the 15th overall pick and a third round selection in the 2011 SuperDraft.
With that 15th selection, RSL nabbed Collen Warner, a midfielder out of the University of Portland. LA followed that pick by selecting midfielder Michael Stephens from UCLA.
Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
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