Cleetus is kind of crazy.
He lives in his own world, situated somewhere close to the proverbial edge. He speaks his mind and doesn’t take anything lying down. More often than not, he is a magical soccer opportunist with uncanny vision and off-the-cuff creativity.
Cleetus lives inside Clint Mathis.
Cleetus is the nickname this Georgia native picked up his rookie year in Los Angeles, and it has stuck with him in the form of a tattoo across his shoulders. Cleetus has become a bit of an alter ego, a convenience for people to rationalize why a man usually so soft-spoken and humble can produce such famous outbursts.
Known outside soccer circles for the Mohawk haircut he sported during the United States’ dramatic run in the 2002 World Cup, Mathis scored a crucial goal against South Korea and graced the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Mathis, 29, is the kind of personality the Rapids would love to utilize as they try to market their way out of Major League Soccer obscurity. Of course, Mathis couldn’t care less. He isn’t concerned with ticket sales and has no desire to become a media darling or see his face plastered on billboards.
Clint’s only concern is winning, and Cleetus is the mind-set he believes sets him apart.
“That’s a good thing,” Mathis said. “I think that’s what has made me successful and gotten me where I have. When I get out there, I only care about one thing, and that’s winning.”
Seasons of discontent
Mathis began his career in MLS, became a dominant force with the MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) and parlayed that into a move to Germany’s Hannover 96 after his World Cup success.
Mathis scored four goals in his first five games before a coaching change relegated him to the bench. One rare occasion when Mathis played, he scored a goal in a matter of seconds, then made a rude gesture toward coach Ewald Lienen before tapping an imaginary watch.
That outburst prompted his exit from Hannover about the same time friend John Ellinger got the coaching job at expansion club Real Salt Lake. Mathis had promised Ellinger that if the coach ever got a team, Mathis would play for him.
That all came true last season and quickly ended in the offseason when Mathis was swapped for Rapids striker Jeff Cunningham. Salt Lake struggled, and Mathis shouldered much of the blame with just three goals and four assists in 27 games.
“I didn’t think it was fair. I thought we had a better relationship,” Mathis said of Ellinger. “I did leave Germany and get out of my contract just to come back and play for him.”
And that is as far as Mathis will go on the subject. The man who said he had no regrets for gesturing at Lienen refuses to blast Ellinger or hold a grudge despite the circumstances.
“I think about it every day, and I’m disappointed,” Mathis said of leaving Europe. “I left a good league in the Bundesliga, took a big pay cut and everything was against me. I think my word is more important than anything else, so I kept it.”
Both player and coach deny a rift between them, and Ellinger said the trade gave Salt Lake more speed and relieved it of the “uncertainty” regarding how Mathis would play in 2006.
“There were obviously some areas that needed to be addressed,” Ellinger said without elaborating.
Another chance
Mathis is smiling at Rapids practice. He seems relaxed and happy to be around friends and new teammates Pablo Mastroeni and Jovan Kirovski. Mathis is embracing the role to provide a creative spark as an attacking midfielder for a team that advanced to the Western Conference finals last season.
Mathis bristles at the notion he is washed up or doesn’t care about his performance. He calls himself his own worst critic and is desperate to impress national team coach Bruce Arena and land a spot on the World Cup roster.
Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo said he believes Mathis can recapture the form that made him famous and believes any risk associated with taking Mathis is worth it.
“We all have big personalities, and we all have our egos,” Clavijo said.
Sweetening the trade was the fact Salt Lake agreed to pick up a portion of Mathis’ contract. Although Clavijo would not give exact figures, he called it substantial. Even after three quiet years, a certain magic and awe surround Mathis.
“He’s got something that nobody has,” former MetroStars teammate and Regis High School graduate Mark Lisi said. “The kid can play, and he can dictate a game whenever he wants to.”
And as far as his new teammates are concerned, Mathis can do it however he wants.
“I think a lot of people want Clint to be a certain person or a certain prototype of soccer player,” said Mastroeni, who roomed with Mathis with the national team. “Clint is who he is. He is really outgoing, always walking the fine line.
“I think that’s what makes him such an asset on the field.”
What Clint and Cleetus do next starts Sunday when the Rapids open their season at Houston.
