2002 - MetroStars Lunchbox

2002.08.17 - The MetroStars hosted the Dallas Burn, and the first 5,000 kids 12 and under received a special metroStars lunchbox, courtesy of Sunny Delight, Downy, Tide and Crest...

The front of the box featured images of Rodrigo Faria, Tim Howard, Clint Mathis, Mike Petke.
The back of the lunch box featured the backs of Faria, Howard, Mathis and Petke, the sides of the lunch box featured player profiles...

2002 - MetroStars calendar

2002 - The Might Metros fan club distributed a calendar to the members. The calendar ran from April 2002 - March 2003, with an individual MetroStar player featured each month. The centerfold was a duplicate of the min-poster, without the Mighty Metros logo in the lower left hand corner. Each month also featured a "Did You Know" with interesting information about the MetroStars. The "Did You Know" from August to November 2002 and January 2003 were bilingual advertisements for Palmolive-Colgate products, the sponsor of the calendar..

April 2002 - Clint Mathis #13

Did You Know - Tim Howard made his international debut with the US Men's national Team on march 10, 2002 with a 1-0 shutout against Ecuador...

May 2002 - Tab Ramos #10

Did You KNow - Tim Howard and Steve Jolley were the only MetroStars players to play in every minute of every MetroStars game during the MLS regular season, the MLS playoffs, the US Open Cup and the Copa MercoNorte tournament in 2001...

June 2002 - Tim Howard #18

Did You Know - Striker Rodrigo Faria became the first MetroStars player to win the MLS Rookie of the Year award...

July 2002 - Rodrigo Faria #22

Did You Know - Defender Mike Petke, during the 2001 season, became the team's all-time leader in games (107) and minutes (9,122)...

August 2002 - Mike Petke #12

September 2002 - Petter Villegas #8

October 2002 - Marcelo Balboa #17

November 2002 - Ross Paule #11

December 2002 - Orlando Perez #2

Did You Know - In 2001, defender Daniel Hernandez recorded a career-high 7 assists during the regular season. Prior to 2001, he had only recorded 3 assists total in his previous 3 years.

January 2003 - Steve Jolley #5

February 2003 - Daniel Hernandez #21

Did You Know - Diego Serna, as a member of the Miami Fusion scored 4 goals against the MetroStars in a 4-1 win on September 2, 2000.

March 2003 - Diego Serna #71

Did You Know - Head Coach Octavio Zambrano is the MetroStars' all-time coaching leader with 30 wins in the regular season.

I like this calendar, it has a nice design and graphics, most of the photos are excellent, especially Mathis challenging 3 defenders...

2002 - MetroStars mini-poster

2002.09.12 - Courtesy of the Mighty Metros fan club, members received this mini-poster (17 x 11) which featured a collage of MetroStars - Tab Ramos, Mike Petke, Tim Howard, Marcelo Balboa, Clint Mathis, Steve Jolley, Rodrigo Faria, Petter Villagas, Ross Paule, Orlando Perez, Daniel Hernandez, Diego Serna.

A version of this poster was also placed in the center of a 2002-2003 calendar distributed by the Mighty Metros fan club. The individual player images on the poster are used for  each of the months...

2003 - MetroStars v DC United

2003.05.10 - MetroStars v DC United, Giants Stadium

Clint Mathis' first half goal led the MetroStars to their 3rd consecutive victory 1-0 over DC United. Mathis scored in the 42nd minute, while DC started the season without a victory in their first 5 games and failing to score a goal in 283 minutes of play...

For the MetroStars, the play of the game came when an exchange between mark Lisi and Amado Guevara led to a chipped pass at the top of the penalty area, over the United defense. Mathis, in full stride, took the ball off his chest and lashed a  right-footed shot past United keeper Nick Rimando...

The United had chances when they forced MetrosStars keeper Tim Howard to make great saves on shots by Bobby Convey and Aleck Eskandarian...

5x7 card announcing the MetroStars player academy - One Dream - One Team

The back of the card asks: Do you want to be the next Clint Mathis?

Metrostars - Pocket Schedule

Spanish version

2003 Metrostars pocket schedule

Metrostars/Red Bull NY - Clint Mathis

2002.04.20 MetroStars v Chicago Fire, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
The Fire defeated the MetroStars 2-0 behind goals by rookie Kelly Gray an DeMarcus Beasley.

Clint Mathis played in his 100th career Major League Soccer game...
MetroStars Steve Jolley left the game in the 9th minute suffering a hamstring injury to bring his consecutive minutes played streak to an end at 5,238 minutes played (over 58 games)...

2007.09.01 Red Bull NY v Chicago Fire, Giants Stadium...

Clint Mathis was honored by the MetroStars prior to the game for breaking the club record (MetroStars/Red Bull NY) for all-time goals. Mathis almost added his 46th career goal 5-minutes into the game for the Red Bulls, but his shot sailed right of the net...

The Red Bulls would however defeat the Fire on Juan Pablo Angel's goal in the 75th minute of the game, 1-0. It was Angle's 14th goal of the season..

Clint Mathis started his MLS career with the LA Galaxy in 1998 and return to them in 2010 before retiring from the game. His journey between brought the Georgia native to stints with the MetroStars (2000-2003), Hannover 96 (Germany 2004-2005) Real Salt lake (2005), Colorado Rapids (2006), Red Bull NY (2007), Ergotelis (Greece 2008), Real Salt Lake (2008-2009)...

Mathis would also play for the US National Team (1998-2005), playing in the 2002 FIFA World Cup...

2002 - MetroStars Autographs

 Bob Bradley

Princeton University (NCAA 1984-1995)

United States U-23 (1996a, 2006-2007)

DC United (MLS 1996-1997a)

Chicago Fire (MLS 1998-2002)

MetroStars (MLS 2003-2005)

Chivas USA (MLS 2006)

United States National Team (2006-2011)

Egypt National Team (2011- )

Clint Mathis

Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS 1998-2000, 2010)

MetroStars (MLS 2000-2003)

Hannover 96 (Bundesliga 2004-2005)

Real Salt lake (MLS 2005, 2008-2009)

Colorado Rapids (MLS 2006)

New York Red Bulls (MLS 2007)

Ergotelis (Greece 2008)

United States National Team (1998-2005)

2002 FIFA World Cup

2002 - signed at the MetroStars practice facility at Kean College, Union, NJ Pingry campus. We had been trying to get Clint Mathis all season, so we went to watch the team practice...

2002 - MLS Strike Force

MLS Strike Force poster signed by Josh Wolff and Clint Mathis

After the Metrostars - Chicago Fire game, an autograph session for members of the Mighty Metros fan club, was held with Demarcus Beasley and Josh Wolff from the Chicago Fire and Clint Mathis from the Metrostars...Mike could not attend the game or autograph session, since he had a game that afternoon. Matt however was available but did not want to attend the game. An agreement was made that Matt and I would attend the autograph session, he would get the Mathis autograph for himself, and obtain Wolff and Beasley for Mike. We were first in line and , as everyone else had to come from the game. By the time they started the signing, Beasley had still not come from the locker room and the "officials" did not want to wait any longer. Limited to one autograph each, Wolff was kind enough to sign Mike's book and the poster provided, Mathis also signed the poster. Just as we were leaving the autograph table Beasley arrived. I had to convince the "officials" to let me go back and get Beasley's autograph, which they allowed, since I had just left the table.

The Strike Force was a promotion to present the top strikers in the MLS to the viewing public.

The Mighty Metros  Kick It! #2 newsletter announced that 1,000 kids took advantage of the special MLS Strike Force autograph session...

 DeMarcus Beasley

Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS 1999-2000)

Chicago Fire (MLS 2000-2004)

PSV Eindhoven (Eredivise 2004-2006)

Manchester City (England 2006-2007)

Glasgow Rangers (Scotland 2007-2010)

Hannover 96 (Bundesliga 2010-2011)

US National Team (2001- )

Josh Wolff

Chicago Fire (MLS 1998-2002)

Kansas City Wizards (MLS 2003-2006, 2008-2010)

1860 Munich (Bundsliga 2006-2008)

DC United (MLS (2011)

US National Team (1999-2008)

2001 - Metrostars Player Cards

card 04 - Rodrigo Faria

card 05 - Paul Grafer

card 06 - Daniel Hernandez

card 07 - Tim Howard

card 08 - Steve Jolley

card 09 - Martin Klinger

card 10 - Clint Mathis

card 11 - Orlando Perez

MetroStars - Clint Mathis : 2002 AT&T

In 2002 AT&T Wireless ran a promotion offering a Clint Mathis bobble-head. The bobble-head was produced by Bobble Dreams "The World's Best Bobble Head"(TM)...The figure shows Mathis wearing his #13 MeteroStars jersey, juggling an MLS soccer ball. A small AT&T plaque in front. The bobble-head stands about 7" tall. Mathis played for the MetroStars from 2000-2003, playing in 67 games, scoring 33 goals...

The back of the box featured a Mathis bio....along with the official MLS holographic sticker...

2001 - Metrostars

Clint Mathis with my boys, nieces, nephews and friends in the tunnels of Giants Stadium.

Michael had his 7th birthday party at Giants Stadium for a Metrostars game. Usually before each Metrostars game, the Giants/Jets/Metrostars practice bubble was set up with soccer games, skills challenges, human fusball, 3v3 games for the kids to participate in before the game. When we set up the birthday party we were told arrive early and have the kids go to the bubble for the pre-game activities. When we arrived, the bubble was closed. football season was underway and the Giants and Jets had priority, even though they were not using it. After much complaming on my part one of the Metrostars staff offered to take our party onto the pitch to check out the stadium from the sidelines, we could not go on the pitch.

After a few minutes we were escorted into the tunnels under the stadium where the players locker rooms were located. Not knowing what to do with our small party of soccer refugees, we were advised to hang out and wait as the players would soon be arriving. As the players slowly filtered in they greeted the kids. clint Mathis kindly agreed to have his picture taken with this little band of kids. AS they Chicago Fire team bus arrived, the kids lined up to get high-fives from the players as they left their bus.

A bad experience turn out to have some pleasant events, which my boys won't forget.