MF: Clint, the obvious question is, are you gonna star for the National Team in June?
Clint Mathis: I think that there're 18 stars out there, and you don't need to pull one particular person out, soccer is a team game, and it takes 11 guys at the same time working hard. If other people perceive it, it's not my fault, I can't do anything about it. If I continue to do my job, then I don't think anybody will can ask anything else of me.

MF: If you listen to the national TV telecasts, they seem to talk a lot about McBride, and not that much about you. I don't think McBride is half the player you are, and I am sure you'll give me some diplomatic answer, but...
CM: I don't have any problem with that. As I said, at the end of the day I don't think anybody can ask from me more that I'm able to. I go out there and do my job, there are 11 jobs there to do, and I am only one person, so it's the only job I need to worry about doing. As far as Brian, he deserves it, he's a different style player, you say that he's not half the player, but there're probably tens of millions of opinions out there, that people talk about. But I like playing with Brian, he's a hard worker, he's phenomenal in the air, and he's the type of player that I can work off of. I definitely have to give him credit from just my standpoint, from being able to play with him.

MF: With the MetroStars this year, you will probably miss some games for the World Cup. Do you think that's a problem?
CM: No, I don't think so. I think all the guys on the team respect the opportunity to be able to be in a situation like that to be in the World Cup and every time that I come here I give 100% and I want to win. I represent the MetroStars even when I am with the National Team. This is my club team and I will always come back here and this is where my heart is, and at the same time I also have a duty to represent my country in such a great event. I think all the guys in the organization definitely understand that.

MF: Are you aware of the "Show us your Clint" chant that the ESC does?
CM: (laughs) The guys are great up there. They keep us entertained out there. We'll just wait and see with what they'll come up with next.

MF: Clint, a year and a half ago you had the 5-goal game. Is that a fluke, or will we see it again?
CM: There's always luck in anything, good or bad luck. You can call it what you want, I'm not gonna ask any questions about it, but I'd take 5 goals every game if it was possible.

MF: The last interviewer asked for your prediction for the World Cup and you said, "USA". No one but you would say that.
CM: There's no way a team should be in a tournament like that if they didn't think they can beat every other team in it. If you go into a game thinking that you can lose, you're gonna lose. Any time that you are matched up against another opponent, whether they are better on paper or what not, it's the matter of what happens when the whistle blows, you gotta work hard and do the best, you never know what's gonna happen. That's why I said that. I am not saying we're better than the other teams? No. It doesn't matter who's better on paper and who's not, it matters what happens on the day of that game, we definitely have to go into that tournament thinking that we can win the whole thing, or not go at all. You gotta go in thinking that you can beat every team in the tournament.