By Dylan Butler
All Jeff Matteo wants is a chance.
The former St. John’s standout wants a chance to prove he can play in Major League Soccer.
But that opportunity didn’t surface with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, who released the midfielder, along with midfielder Jeff Moore, Thursday to make room for a pair of players on loan from Boca Juniors — midfielder Jose Galvan and defender Juan Forchetti.
“I’m frustrated, definitely frustrated,” Matteo said. “I felt I could have played, but it’s the coach’s team and you have to be compatible with the coach. I guess he had a couple of players with my style and there wasn’t any room for more.”
Matteo, a developmental player who was traded from Columbus in the preseason, never cracked the MetroStars lineup and its already crowded midfield, which includes Honduran international Amado Guevara, Ricardo Clark, Richie Williams, Mark Lisi and Joey DiGiamarino.
“It ended up being that we had a lot of players who can play in that center part of the midfield, and I think that’s still where Jeff plays best,” MetroStars coach Bob Bradley said. “I think sometimes you look at a young player and you think he’s moving forward, but you really feel like he needs to probably go and find a situation where he can get games, and I didn’t see him having that opportunity at this time with us.”
Matteo, who hails from the Poughkeepsie suburb of Stormville, has until Wednesday to sign with another club before his contract with MLS is terminated.
The fact that Matteo is a “roster-protected” developmental player, which wouldn’t count against a team’s 18-man roster, is a plus.
Several teams, including New England, where former Red Storm teammate Shalrie Joseph is a starting midfielder, and struggling D.C. United, have room for a developmental player.
“You’ve got your bumps in the road, but I’m just going to talk to other teams and you never know. I just need that one break and when I get it prove I’m good enough to play at this level,” Matteo said. “I still feel it will come. I’m not giving up yet.”
But Bradley believes Matteo may be best suited to play in the A-League, the equivalent of ‘AAA’ Minor League baseball, for a season.
“Someone else might feel like he’s ready to help them and get some time in MLS, and obviously if that is true then throw my opinion out the window,” Bradley said. “But I think oftentimes young guys need games, and I think he’s in that situation right now.”
At St. John’s, the 5-foot-5 crafty midfielder was a two-time first-team All-Big East selection and was named Big East Midfielder of the Year in 2001.
In four years, Matteo played in 88 games, scoring 55 points on 17 goals and 21 assists. He scored the lone goal for St. John’s in a 2-1 double overtime loss to Indiana in the 2001 NCAA semifinals.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by email at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
