Offside Exclusive: Matthew Mbuta

By: Dave Martinez | October 15th, 2008

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the FIFA 09 release party, held at the Argentine Downtown Eatery, Novecento, Matt Mbuta, the newly acquired right wing prospect for the Red Bulls, watched the gaming action on a huge 104 inch projection screen while sipping a glass of what seemed to be ginger ale. “I don’t play video games. In Cameroon, we prefer to go outside and play football. Why play with your friend in front of a TV when you can go outside?” I love him already.

Mbuta thrilled fans against the Rapids a few weeks ago with a beautifuly placed goal in his first appearance as a Red Bull. Matt and the Bulls other recent signee, Macoumba Kandji, hooked up on a little give and go that lead to a perfectly placed spring pass. Mbuta buried it, and followed up with a perfectly executed flip celebration (take notes Borman!). “Thats how I usually celebrate my goals. I like it!” Ya, so do Bulls fans.

And speaking of the fans, Mbuta was quick to heap praise to the base. “The fans have treated me great, you know? The day that I played my first game, they were all screaming and singing, and I felt so happy that they have a spot (in their hearts) for me.”

Matt has been through alot of changes the past few years. He has played with the Cameroon U-20 and U-21 teams, has competed in the Cameroon league and was a stand out, moved on to the USL ranks with the eye opening Crystal Palace team that shocked the hemisphere with their US Open performance, and has now found himself with the Red Bulls in America’s top flight. And when asked about the biggest difference between his home league and the US, his first reaction was not to comment on the game itself, but on the cultural differences of the leagues. “Here, you meet players from other countries. Not only the United States, but players from Holland, players from Colombia, players from Switzerland, players from everywhere! So it’s a good experience. Thats the major difference between the league back home and the United States.”

“Other than that, I think Cameroon is a more physical league,” said the young standout. “USL is more physical than MLS. The system of play is different. USL, you can make like 8 passes without losing it, but in MLS, 2 to 3 passes and you might give it away. Defense is better in MLS. There are better players in the MLS than in USL2. The coaches have been overseas, and are better as well.”

But New York in itself, is a different beast from anywhere in the world. Wide eyed and humble, Mbuta describes his transition from Crystal Palace to the Red Bulls. “When I got here, I thought maybe the guys won’t treat me so good, but every guy on the team is friendly. It makes me feel at home you know? I feel like they’re my brothers.”

And anyone who is going through such a transition needs a little bit of help from his friends. Who has it been for Mbuta? “Dane Richards is my friend, we always go out. I like the guy. He’s a nice person, you know. Very friendly.” Seems like everyone wants to hang out with Dane . . .

Mbuta has made the kind of impact Red Bulls fans adore - debuting with an immediate goal in crunch time. Though it wasn’t enough to buoy the Bulls to a win, Mbuta clearly showed that, when given the chance, he can be an explosive, creative force. Asked about his best attributes as a player, the reserved youngster said, “I am a good dribbler and have a good cross.” I think he can add goal scoring to that list as well.

img credit: cpfc.co.uk