May 22, 2002

Columbia, S.C. – Former South Carolina soccer player Clint Mathis hit a career high on April 17 when Bruce Arena, Head Coach of the U.S. World Cup team, announced that Mathis would be the starting forward for the team. Mathis hit another milestone Wednesday when he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, America’s largest sports weekly, which included a three-page profile of Mathis along with an in-depth preview on the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Mathis is the 10th soccer player to ever be highlighted on the cover of the magazine and only the third Gamecock to be on the cover. Men’s basketball star John Roche appeared on the cover on Jan. 4, 1971 after the team’s undefeated start entering ACC play and Dan Reeves was featured in November 1967 and August 1993. Mathis also graced the cover of Soccer America last month. Mathis is the first male soccer player since 1994 and the first Major League Soccer (MLS) player ever to grace the cover of the magazine.

Mathis played at USC from 1994-97 under the guidance of Head Coach Mark Berson. During that time the Gamecocks advanced to the NCAA Tournament all four years. Teammate Josh Wolff (1995-97) was also named to the 2002 World Cup team. Wolff plays for the MLS’s Chicago Fire, while Mathis starts for the NY/NJ Metro Stars.

The United States faces Portugal in its first match of the 2002 World Cup on Wednesday, June 5,2002.