Point Well Taken as Mathis Returns to Sting Galaxy, 2-0
Clint Mathis first made his point, then underlined it and later added an exclamation mark.
One of three players given away by the Galaxy last month so that it could sign Mexican striker Luis Hernandez, Mathis returned to the Rose Bowl for the first time Saturday night and scored a stunning goal.
Afterward, he lifted his New York/New Jersey MetroStars jersey over his head to reveal a T-shirt bearing the familiar phrase “I Love New York,” with a solid red heart in place of the word “love.”
“That was not to disrespect the Galaxy or L.A.,” Mathis said. “I’m just trying to win over some fans in New York.”
The goal, Mathis’ fifth of the season, was his second in three games with the MetroStars, who defeated the Galaxy, 2-0, in front of 16,876 not-so-surprised fans.
The fans, if not Galaxy team management, know what the team gave up to acquire Hernandez--not only in players but in cohesiveness, team spirit and, it increasingly seems, prospects for the season.
Afterward, Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said his players have to put the trade behind them.
“We need to forget about it and move on,” he said. “Our team is using that as an excuse right now, that the league took these players away from us and because they’re gone we can’t play right now.
“I think we have players who can play and they need to step up and play. We need to forget what the league did to us. I think everyone can see what the league did to us. If we can put in behind us, we can be successful. If we live in the past, we wont be.”
Since the transaction, the MetroStars (6-6-0) have won three in a row and the Galaxy (6-2-6) has lost two of three.
Mathis’ goal came in the 48th minute when he and Galaxy defender Paul Caligiuri both leaped to reach a high cross from the right flank. The ball initially eluded both, but Mathis reacted quicker, turning and hitting it on the volley past Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
“I tried to get to it before it hit the ground, because that would have been a tough ball to bring down,” Mathis said. “I was able to get a foot on it and finish it well.”
Twelve minutes later, Roy Myers, the other Galaxy player the MetroStars picked up in the Hernandez deal, created New York/New Jersey’s second goal.
Taking a pass from Mathis, Myers and Adolfo Valencia broke through the Galaxy defense, with Myers stranding Zak Ibsen before passing the ball to a wide open Valencia. The Colombian striker made no mistake, scoring from close range.
At the other end, two other former Galaxy players, Steve Jolley and Daniel Hernandez, helped to shut out Los Angeles’ once potent attack.
“It feels great,” Jolley said. “I guess whenever you win against your old team it feels good.”
Said Myers: “What made me happy was that when they said my name [during player introductions], the crowd still remembered me. I feel glad about that.”
But it was Mathis who was the man of the moment. Signs carried by Rose Bowl fans read “Welcome Galaxy Alumni” and “We Miss You Clint.”
“It’s always great to come here,” Mathis said. “The fans of L.A. have always been great to me. It kind of stinks, what happened, but it’s part of the business.”
Mathis said the trade, which Major League Soccer insists was completed because the Galaxy wanted Hernandez at any cost, has hurt his former team.
“I think it affected L.A. a lot,” he said. “It’s not to take anything away from Luis Hernandez, he’s a phenomenal player, but to take away three guys from the starting lineup, with me, Roy and Joey [Franchino], that’s tough to do to any team.”
Robin Fraser is sidelined by a lingering ankle injury and Cobi Jones and Greg Vanney were playing in the U.S. Cup, so the Galaxy was missing three U.S. national team players--two central defenders and its top goal scorer.
Most of all, though, it was missing Mathis.
