Mathis in Need of Help
Clint Mathis created a stir when he showed up for the World Cup with a funky red Mohawk haircut, reminding pro wrestling fans of the Red Rooster. But it’s Mathis’ recent raging WWE-like personality on the field that has his coach worried to the point where he’s recommending Mathis see a psychologist.
“I think it would in the best interests of Clint and this organization to address that problem,” New York/New Jersey MetroStar Coach Octavio Zambrano told the Associated Press on Tuesday. “This is strictly a situation where the player needs to handle energy in a positive way.”
Mathis was red-carded in the 30th minute of the MetroStars’ 2-1 loss Saturday to D.C. United after he had accidentally stepped on United midfielder Jose Alegria. Zambrano, who coached Mathis when both were with the Galaxy in 1998 and ‘99, intimated that he has seen the forward yell at officials, opponents and teammates.
Mathis told the Herald News of West Patterson that he believed Zambrano was using the psychologist angle as motivation.
“Octavio believes there is a problem there and the only reason he is bringing it up publicly is to get my attention,” Mathis said. “That’s fine. We’ll do whatever we have to do to fix it.”
Said Zambrano: “I firmly believe he has taken the first step, which is agreeing to [counseling]. I think he is going to be back on the national team and be the Clint we all know and love in addressing this.”
Real Madrid Rolls
No Ronaldo? No matter.
Real Madrid, the top-ranked club in the world, began defense of its European Champions League title Tuesday in spectacular fashion, shutting out AS Roma on its home turf, 3-0.
With the Brazilian striker, who came to Real Madrid in a $44.5-million transaction earlier this month, in Spain to work on his fitness, Real Madrid toyed with its hosts.
Guti had two goals, in the 41st and 74th minutes, and Raul had another in the 56th minute for Real Madrid, which has won four Champions Cup titles in the last six years and nine overall.
Meanwhile, Brazilian soccer legend Pele thinks that worries about Ronaldo’s right knee, which bothered him throughout his five-year stint at Inter Milan, are baseless and he expects his countryman to have a successful run.
“He will score a lot of goals for Madrid,” Pele told Spanish media. “His performance at the World Cup will have cleared the doubts of those people who claimed that he was almost lame before the tournament started. He scored goals and was a really important player in the Brazilian team.”
It has been reported that Ronaldo, a two-time FIFA player of the year, will make his Real Madrid debut in next Wednesday’s Champions League match against Belgium’s Racing Genk at Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
“It’s clear that [Ronaldo] will have to be a little more cautious than before he suffered the knee injury,” Pele said, “but his quality is obvious and there should be no doubts about him.”
Mexican History Made
When Mexican clubs Morelia and Pachuca meet today at Mexico City in the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, it will be the first time in the tournament’s 40-year history that teams from the same country are playing for the title in a winner-take-all championship match.
It will be the first continental championship for whichever team wins but a record 20th time that the title will go to a Mexican club.
Mexico, though, has had a three-year drought in the tournament, Necaxa having last won the tournament for its country in 1999 with a 3-2 victory over Alajuelense of Costa Rica.
Teams from the same country have met in the competition’s final stage before--in 1995 when Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa and Alajuelense reached the final four and in 1996 when Mexico’s Cruz Azul and Necaxa did the same. But that was when the champion was determined in a round-robin format.
