Mathis: A (Short) 21st Century Portrait

It's difficult, if not pointless, to compare Clint Mathis' career with Zinedine Zidane's. The two players existed in wholly different parts of the soccer universe, with French legend Zidane being touted as one of the greatest players of his generation, while Mathis was more of a local curiosity, beloved stateside, but seen as an expendable component overseas.

That doesn't mean that Mathis' recent retirement isn't worth feting, however. Styled after the critically-acclaimed feature film "Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait", the good people at MLS stitched together a short video that details Mathis' final appearance on a soccer pitch. Shot entirely over the course of last Saturday's L.A. Galaxy-Real Madrid friendly, Mathis' final match, this tribute uses footage of cameras trained on Mathis alone, and was edited sans narration. Watch below.

Juxtapose that with a clip of the Zidane film that the Mathis tribute was modeled after.

While Mathis' on-pitch form isn't anywhere close to that displayed by Zidane, at least it isn't as far removed as the two soundtracks. Understood that music rights can be tough to obtain, but a little Mogwai would have gone a long way in lifting the Mathis piece up a notch or three.

Regardless, it's good to see an American soccer treasure being celebrated on his last trip back to the dressing room.