[Lav]

This guy was on the cover of SPorts Illustrated, ESPN mag, Soccer Digest

he was hyped, he was touted as the best american player

and so far he has only played one game agaisnt the koreans why?

McBride is good but his goal were sitters, the header when he was free, and the shot which he had time for and no pressure, where as mathis scored a beauty


So why is the "golden boy" not playing?

Lav

 

[Herndonite]

He also played against Poland, our worst effort.

I believe part of the problem is that Arena keeps teaming him with McBride and those two just don't click. They don't seem to be on the same wavelength.

I'd really like to see Mathis and Donovan up front as they are both very creative. Mathis and Wolff would be my second pick.

 

[Oldplayer]

Lav, it is a little hard for me to understand, too. The first game Clint may ahve actually been recovering from a true minor injury. Played well in Korea considering that the middle collapsed. Poland was a nightmare for all.

Bruce is hard to figure as a coach, but that makes our whole team less predictable. I wonder if Captain America resents Clint and if that affects his service to Clint and Arena's decision to play him. Certainly with Landon you have someone who can chase down poor services and too long through balls, something that is all too common from our mids. (Look what happens whenever there is a good or outstanding service . . . shot on goal!)

Clint might also be in the same place Keller is . . . a great player who sat out at the wrong time and now can't be re-inserted without upsetting the status quo.

I resent all the bad-mouthing of Clint because it's ignorant. He has a drive to win and if selfish at all (something certainly not seen from his on-field performances!), he is selfish in the exact way a striker should be selfish. Even Reyna acknowledges that.

At this point, just Win, Baby, Win!!!!

Oldplayer

 

[Kerry]

I think it has a lot to do with our new found depth. We only go with 2 strikers, McBride and whomever Bruce thinks can do some damage. Mathis' 2 goals against Germany might get him the start.

But who's going to argue with Bruce's success?

 

[Herndonite]

Well, McBride has started every match. He's no young chicken like Donovan so I have to believe he's getting tired.

As Jack Edwards reminds us ad nauseum, "McBride works tirelessly for the U.S. when he's on the field."

Maybe Bruce will sit him out for this one.

 

[TP]

The Golden Boy ...

... is NOT IN SHAPE TO PLAY 90 MINUTES; that's why he is sitting.
Bruce has made it clear that he expects amuch more from Mathis than he is currently providing, not just scoring but playing defence.

The lone game McBride and Mathis played together saw McBride doing the work of two up front, which, IMHO, is the reason Mathis is sitting. He maybe paired with McBride for the game vs. Germany. This, I feel, will be a very physical game, and the US will need more size than speed to compete with these Germans.

 

[Oldplayer]

Physical Condition

TP, I've heard this "not in shape" stuff for a month now. It may have been partly true early in Clint's rehabilitation. I know Bruce has said it.


Sorry, I don't BUY IT! Maybe you've grown to notice that what Bruce says isn't always what Bruce thinks.

I don't believe a twenty-something professional athlete with the drive of Clint Mathis won't be able to go 90 minutes of balls out soccer in a World Cup match. I just don't believe it. Been there and done that.

Oldplayer

 

[Lav]

Well agaisnt poland he scored the goal the got the US the points


My question is why is McBride starting all his games

to me he is really weak player and a dou like Mathis and Donovan seems more EXPLOSIVE!

all in all this "un-fit" is jsut crap

by now all the players are playing on adrenaline after 10 mins. thats a fact, they are dead tiread and are working purely from thier desire to win.

so Mathis not being fit is a joke, and syaing he cant last 90 mins in a WC quaterfinal is really sad excuse

Lav

 

[Herndonite]

Um...Donovan scored against Poland and the U.S. got zero points out of that match.

Mathis scored against S. Korea and the U.S. did get one very important point.