Northborough's Clementi eyes a career in soccer
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Matt Clementi PHOTO/SUBMITTED

Northborough - Soccer is Matt Clementi's avocation, and he'd like to make it his vocation.

The Northborough resident, currently a senior at Anna Maria College in Paxton, will attempt to do just that next month in Tallahassee, Fla., at a soccer combine that will feature the best college players in the nation.

At the combine, which will be held Monday Jan. 7 through Thursday Jan. 10 at Florida State University, the players will be put through a series of drills to showcase their skills. After two days of dribbling, passing, sprinting and defending, the players will compete in several seven-on-seven, nine-on-nine and 11-on-11 games.

All of these drills and games will be performed under the watchful eyes of some of the top coaches and owners of soccer teams throughout the world, including those from Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, as well as premier leagues throughout Europe.

"It's the opportunity of a lifetime," 22-year-old Clementi said. "It's a chance to show soccer people from all over the world your abilities and find out exactly where you stand."

Clementi said while it will be fun to perform for scouts and coaches from the MLS and other top leagues worldwide, more important to him is that there will also be scouts and coaches from the lowerlevel leagues in the United States and the Division 1, 2 and 3 leagues in Europe.

"My dream is to play soccer professionally; that's why I'm going down there," Clementi said. "I want to find out where I stand. I don't want to think in a couple of years, when I have a career in the business world, 'What would have happened if I had gone to the combine?'

"I know it's a slim chance I have to play professionally, but I want to keep it open," Clementi added. "I want to have no regrets."

And if some Division 3 league team in Germany or Australia offered him a contract?

"I'd be there tomorrow," Clementi said. "Do you want me to report on Christmas Day? Not a problem."

Clementi played sweeper for the Anna Maria AmCats the last two years. He was named to the Commonwealth Coast Conference All-Conference Second Team following this season, as well as being named the Senior Scholar Athlete of the Conference, for his 3.84 cumulative grade-point average as a business major and sports marketing minor at the school.

"Matt is the quintessential collegiate scholar-athlete," Anna Maria soccer coach Dave Gentlemen said. "And as good a soccer player as he is, the important thing is he's a better person. His sincerity of character is noteworthy for someone as young as he is."

Clementi said if his dreams of a career in soccer don't come to fruition, he would like to stay connected to the sport in some fashion.

"I'd like to keep my hand in it, sure," Clementi said. "I think that was my thought process when I decided to pick up the sports marketing minor. I'm thinking that I'll go to a soccer tryout somewhere and if I get cut I'll try to talk my way into the front office, maybe in media relations or marketing or advertising."