Clint out of RSL!

SoccerPrime · 12-13-2005, 12:29 PM

I am concerned about RSL paying Mathis 300k for 2006.
But, as it has been told to me, if Checketts is truthful about paying what it takes to make this team better, and he has a way around the Salary Budget, then fine.
I'll still consider JC a upgrade over having Mathis here.

prk166 · 12-13-2005, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

Jason, you really need to work on the whole "knowing you audience".
This isn't the CRapids forum (oh year thats right, you don't have one besides the free one at BS).

THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS FOR RSL. RSL is still paying for Mathis's bloated salary.
Well, at least we got 12 goals for 3.
And Cunningham scored 12 because of those around him? Like who, Beckerman?

The salary isn't good news for Checketts checkbook. The real question is who is taking what for cap hits. If we get most or all of Clint's cap room out of the way, which I'm guessing we are in bringing near-max Cunningham in, then I'm not too worried.

JasonMa · 12-13-2005, 12:46 PM

Oh don't get me wrong, I still think you got the better end of this deal, and I'm not happy to have Mathis around. At least we're only paying about 100K for him though so it's not the disaster it appeared to be. And if we move him for Gaven, so much the better.

Super Phil · 12-13-2005, 01:05 PM

Damn....I really liked watching Clint play. I know Clint was pretty well villified by many on this site, but he was seriously dangerous on free kicks, and I saw many gorgeous balls played by Clint that were wasted by other crappy RSl players. I do admit that he was way overpaid for his production, though.

I read the Tribune article ands it says that Clint really liked it here and wanted to stay. It's too bad it didn't work out. Let's hope Cunningham really finds his form here and helps bring RSL to the play-offs!

Deuce · 12-13-2005, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Phil

Damn....I really liked watching Clint play. I know Clint was pretty well villified by many on this site, but he was seriously dangerous on free kicks, and I saw many gorgeous balls played by Clint that were wasted by other crappy RSl players. I do admit that he was way overpaid for his production, though.

I read the Tribune article ands it says that Clint really liked it here and wanted to stay. It's too bad it didn't work out. Let's hope Cunningham really finds his form here and helps bring RSL to the play-offs!

a great many of us liked Clint and I am concerned by him leaving.
I believe that if anyone is responsible for the villification of Cleetus it is Cleetus himself. There were many fans including myself that said Clint is an asset to RSL and that he is just going to surprize us one day soon. I was behind Cleetus until the very end!

Unfortunately "One Day Soon" never came to pass. the entire season could have been much better if he had
1) been in shape
2) came to every game, ready to play
3) swallowed his pride a bit and "played" even with the players he did not want to play with.

But what could have happened is always easier to accept than what "actually" happened.
I am sorry but he is a "professional" athlete. If he can't step up and play ball for the amount of money he was being paid, it is to his own peril.

He was given the opportunity to play. He did not take advantage of that opportunity... and for what it is worth... that is through no fault of anyone on the 05 RSL roster but Clint.

I didn't want him to leave. I wanted to see the Clint Mathis that everyone, apart from RSL fans, was saying did not exist anymore. Clint did nothing to dispell the belief of that player does not exist anymore. At least i am no longer a believer in the Clint Magic. He had me for a season, now he can go over the mountain to Denver and they can get their hopes up and on this side of the mountain... we can just get on with it.

clarette · 12-13-2005, 02:16 PM

Here's my take on Cleetus:

I could have lived with INNO5GOALSCLEETUS if he had made some sort of effort to direct his efforts elsewhere. You're not as fast as you used to be, fine. Learn to play a new position, work on your defense, do something instead of trying to play high balls at Jason Kreis.

However, after about the 75th time I saw him marking the referee and yelling when the other team was shoving the ball down our throats, I was kind of over him.

I was a more diplomatic about him than my dad, who, and I quote, just said, "I bet Cunningham won't mark the f***ing referee." 🕺

prk166 · 12-13-2005, 04:18 PM

You're dad rules! 🙂

prk166 · 12-13-2005, 04:54 PM

2. TALE OF THE TAPE: Mathis & Cunningham

They both came into MLS the same year, Clint Mathis taken by Los Angeles with the sixth pick out of South Carolina in the 1998 SuperDraft and Jeff Cunningham selected by Columbus three picks later out of South Florida.
Both have had short stints in Europe, Cunningham on loan to Bayer Leverkusen in 2001 and Mathis at Hannover for parts of two seasons.
They played together for the USA at the 2003 Confederations Cup in France.
Now, they’re the principals in one of the biggest trades in MLS history. After one season at their respective clubs, Real Salt Lake traded Mathis to Colorado for Cunningham.

2005 MLS Season
Games: Cunningham 26, Mathis 27.
Goals: Cunningham 12, Mathis 3.
Assists: Cunningham 3, Mathis 4.

2005 U.S. Season
Games: Cunningham 2, Mathis 2.
Goals: Cunningham 0, Mathis 1.

MLS Career
Seasons: Cunningham 8, Mathis 7.
Teams: Cunningham 2, Mathis 3.
Games: Cunningham 208, Mathis 159.
Goals: Cunningham 74, Mathis 51.
Assists: Cunningham: 46, Mathis 42.

U.S. Career
Games: Cunningham 10, Mathis 46.
Goals: Cunningham 0, Mathis 12.

Jim Umber · 12-14-2005, 01:05 PM

Very interesting stats, Prk166. I'm thinking (and hoping) that we did get the better of the trade, except for having to pay so much of Cletus' salary.

Like some of the others here, though, I rather dread the prospect of having Clint come here with Colorado and show his real talent, while beating up on us, while we're paying his salary. That would really hurt. I really think that if he gets into shape and puts out the effort, he can be that player. The one we dread to face...

...But if he continues as he has been going, then it may be a cheap price to get rid of him. I wish Clint Mathis all the luck in the world, and I look forward to seeing Jeff Cunningham compete with Jason Kreis for the title of Ultimate Goal Scorer.

Playoffs, here we come!

Doc · 12-14-2005, 02:37 PM

Does anyone know how much of Mathis' salary we get to pay?

Maybe I'm one of those that stays with a sinking ship too long, but I wasn't ready to give up on Clint yet. I agree that most of the time his effort was sub par but his skill was obvious and I thought towards the end of the season that his effort was improving. I noticed that he was running hard for 50/50 balls more and even comming back more to help defend more often. I would have been willing to give him one more year to prove himself as something other than a has been.

On another note, Does anyone know why Gregorio was not playing more at the end of the season? The times I saw him on the field, I thought he showed better skill and more inteligent play that a lot of the players getting the playing time but I don't remember him even playing in the last couple of home games.