Alexi Lalas

Panayotis Alexander Lalas (born June 1, 1970) is an American former soccer player who played as a centre-back. He is best known for his participation with the United States national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where his appearance made him a standout player on the team with his distinctive long beard and hair. After the World Cup, he went on to become the first American in Italy's Serie A as a member of Calcio Padova.<ref>Lalas, a rock n' roll star</ref><ref name="first_or_not">This essay on U.S. soccer history Template:Webarchive, however, indicates that other two American-born players, Alfonso Negro and Armando Frigo, appeared for Serie A teams in the late 1930s, making Lalas the third American-born player in the Italian top league.</ref>

Lalas would later return to the United States in 1996 to take part in the newly formed Major League Soccer, as a member of New England Revolution. He also played with Club Sport Emelec of Ecuador, and the MLS squads MetroStars and Kansas City Wizards, but his most successful period was with Los Angeles Galaxy, with whom he won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup before retiring in 2003.<ref>Alexi Lalas – USMNT</ref> His playing style was characterized by physicality and endurance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Following his playing career, Lalas served as general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, and Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He currently works as an analyst for Fox Sports.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also was a reporter at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Early life

Lalas was born in Birmingham, Michigan to a Greek father, Demetrios Lalas, and an American mother, Anne Harding Woodworth. His father was a professor who later became the director of Greece's national observatory, while his mother is a widely published poet. His younger brother, Greg Lalas, is a former professional soccer player and currently the Chief Marketing Officer at United Soccer League.

Club career

High school

Lalas attended Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Even though he did not begin playing soccer until he was eleven, he had developed his skills enough to be named the 1987 Michigan High School Player of the Year by his senior year. In addition to playing soccer, he was a member and captain of his high school hockey team, which won the state championship. Lalas was rated for the Ontario Hockey League Midget draft in 1987, but was ultimately not selected.Template:Citation needed

College

Lalas attended Rutgers University, where after trying out and playing some spring matches and an indoor tournament in 1988, he played on the men's soccer team from 1988 to 1991. During his four seasons at Rutgers with the Scarlet Knights he reached the NCAA Final Four in 1989 and the National Championship Game in 1990.<ref name="college">Template:Cite web</ref> Lalas was named a third-team All-American in 1989 and 1990. In 1991, he gained first-team All-American recognition and was selected for both the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year award. As he did in high school, Lalas also played hockey in college, leading the team in scoring in 1989.<ref name="college1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Lalas left Rutgers in 1991 to focus on the U.S. national team despite being interested in finishing his degree. He resumed his education in 2013, when Rutgers began offering enough online classes to fulfill what Lalas required to graduate. Lalas took 12 classes and 36 credits over 10 months to finish what he jokingly called "a 26-year plan", earning a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in music in May 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After college and the 1992 Summer Olympics, Lalas trained with former Arsenal player Bob McNab in California. This led to a trial with Arsenal during the winter of 1992. It was quickly determined that Lalas did not have the quality for a first-team spot. As a result, Lalas only had a few training sessions with the reserve team before being cut shortly after his arrival in North London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lalas then returned home to Detroit and spent a month reluctant about his future in soccer before coach Bora Milutinovic invited him for the United States tryouts in Mission Viejo, California.<ref name=lat/>

Padova

File:Alexi Lalas Calcio Padova 1994-1995 (cropped).jpg

Lalas with Calcio Padova in 1994–1995

After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Lalas signed with Italian Serie A club Padova. While Lalas anchored the team's defense and scored three goals off set pieces (including against A.C. Milan and Internazionale), Padova finished the 1994–95 season 14th in the table. Only after winning a relegation play-off on June 10, 1995, did the team ensure its survival in the top ranks for the next season. On June 25, 1995, Major League Soccer (MLS) signed Lalas to play for one of the new league's teams. While MLS had intended to begin playing in 1995, it had run into difficulties and so delayed the first season until 1996. In order to allow Lalas to maintain his match fitness, MLS loaned him back to Padova for the 1995–96 season. Lalas last played for Padova in a home game against Lazio on February 25, 1996.

Major League Soccer

Before the inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) draft in February 1996, the league allocated high-profile players throughout the league's ten teams<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (except for the Dallas Burn, which alone amongst all MLS sides never received a U.S. national team allocation from the 1994 World Cup era).Template:Citation needed As part of this process, MLS placed Lalas with the New England Revolution on October 7, 1995.<ref name = "ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf">Template:Cite web</ref>

Lalas was a regular on the Revs backline during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, starting 25 matches in 1996 and 29 in 1997.<ref name = "ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf"/> Lalas made his Revolution debut in the club's first-ever match, against Tampa Bay Mutiny on April 13, 1996, and recorded the first assist in Revolution history (in conjunction with Wélton), setting up Robert Ukrop for the team's first-ever goal, in the 20th minute.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> Lalas made his home debut on April 27 against D.C. United. He scored his first Revolution goal in the team's 4–2 win over Tampa Bay on August 26.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/>

Lalas was named an MLS All-Star in both 1996 and again in 1997,<ref name="2024 Media Guide">Template:Cite book</ref> but famously clashed with Revolution head coach Frank Stapleton during the 1996 season, ultimately being benched in August following a 6-1 drubbing to the San Jose Clash.<ref name="Lalas Benched"/> Tensions arose after Lalas' Revolution teammate (and friend from his time in Padova) Giuseppe Galderisi was traded after only four games.<ref name="Lalas Benched"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lalas referred to his Revolution tenure under Stapleton a "joke" and a "nightmare from the beginning."<ref name="Lalas Benched"/> At his request, the Revolution attempted to trade Lalas during the summer transfer window but could not find an interested party.<ref name="Lalas Benched">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In November 1997, the Revolution loaned Lalas to Ecuadorian First Division Club Emelec for a month.<ref name="US Soccer Players Profile">Template:Cite web</ref> He returned to New England at the end of December only to find himself traded to the MetroStars on February 4, 1998, in what would become the first three-team trade in MLS history.<ref name="2018 New York Red Bulls Media Guide">Template:Cite web</ref>

The deal saw New England acquire Raúl Díaz Arce from D.C. United in exchange for Lalas and a second-round pick in the 1999 MLS College Draft, which were traded to the MetroStars, with the MetroStars’ second-round pick in the 1999 MLS College Draft and future considerations going to D.C. United along with New England's first-round pick in the 1999 MLS College Draft.<ref name = "ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf"/> He spent the 1998 season with the MetroStars before being traded, along with Tony Meola, to the Kansas City Wizards for Mark Chung and Mike Ammann on January 28, 1999.<ref name="2018 New York Red Bulls Media Guide"/> Lalas spent one season with the Wizards before announcing his retirement on October 10, 1999.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lalas was named to the MLS All-Star team in both the 1998 and 1999 seasons.<ref name="MLS recordbook">Template:Cite web</ref>

Just over a year later, he returned to playing when he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy as a discovery player on January 16, 2001.<ref name="US Soccer Players Profile"/> Lalas' tenure with the Galaxy was some of the most decorated of his career. In 2001, Lalas helped the Galaxy win the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and also the 2001 U.S. Open Cup ( the latter against his former club, New England).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next year, Lalas helped the Galaxy win the 2002 Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup 2002 (the latter against his former club, New England).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was named to the 2002 MLS Best XI.<ref name="MLS recordbook"/> Nearly three years later, he retired again, this time permanently, on January 12, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

International career

Lalas earned 96 caps, scoring nine goals, with the United States national team between 1991 and 1998. His first cap came in a 2–2 tie with Mexico on March 12, 1991, in the 1991 NAFC Championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He gained his second cap four days later in a 2–0 win over Canada. While he started both games, he did not gain another cap until he came on for Fernando Clavijo in a 2–2 tie with Denmark on January 30, 1993. His next game, a start, came on March 23, 1993, in a 2–2 tie with El Salvador. While he became a fixture on the team through the rest of 1993, he did not cement his position as a starter in the U.S. central defense until the beginning of 1994. He went on to start and play all ninety minutes in the four U.S. games of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and was named an honorable mention All-Star. On June 11, 1995, Lalas flew directly from a relegation playoff game with his club team, Padova, in order to appear in the second half of a 1995 U.S. Cup victory over Nigeria.<ref name="U.S. Cup">Template:Cite magazine</ref> His contributions to the national team led to his selection as the 1995 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year. He also scored in a game against Saudi Arabia, in which the United States had their biggest comeback in their history (from 3–0 to 4–3; Lalas scored the first goal for the United States). While Lalas was on the roster for the U.S. at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, he never entered a game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His last cap had come in the final U.S. tuneup for the finals, a May 30, 1998, scoreless tie with Scotland where he was a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart.

Lalas was part of the United States Olympic soccer team for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Spain. He was also selected as overage player on the United States Olympic soccer team at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Post-playing career

File:Alexi Lalas (46614848784).jpg

Lalas at a United States vs. England women's soccer game in Nashville in 2019

Lalas served as president and general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes during the 2004 and 2005 MLS seasons. He served as a general manager of the MetroStars/New York Red Bulls from 2005 to 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lalas served as President of the LA Galaxy from 2006 to 2008 during which time the club signed David Beckham.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following his time at the Galaxy, Lalas spent six years as a commentator for ESPN before signing a commentary deal with Fox Sports.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He also appeared in both FIFA 16 and FIFA 17, by EA Sports, as a legend card having an 86 rated center back card in both iterations of the game. Currently Lalas, alongside pundit David Mosse, hosts the podcast State of the Union, dedicated to discussing American soccer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Lalas speaks Spanish and Italian in addition to his native English and Greek. Lalas is married to Anne Rewey and they have two children together Henry and Sophie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>LONG-LASTING Who is Alexi Lalas married to?Tereza Shkurtaj Published: 16:09 ET, Nov 17 2022</ref>

Lalas is a Republican and endorsed Ron DeSantis in the 2024 United States presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

Lalas is a major fan of the hair metal band Ratt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Musical career

Lalas has released eight solo albums over the past three decades: Far from Close (1996), Ginger (1998), So It Goes (2010), Infinity Spaces (2014), Shots (2016), Sunshine (2018), Look at You (2019) and Melt Away (2022). With a noted affinity for rock music since college, Lalas played in a band named The Gypsies, opening for Hootie & The Blowfish during a European tour in 1998.<ref>Alexi Lalas interview: Solace in sound springs eternal for former US international</ref> The Gypsies were featured in a self-produced, self-distributed album Woodland, released by Lalas during the 1994 World Cup.<ref name="lat">WORLD CUP '94 / 25 DAYS AND COUNTING : A SOCCER ROCKER : Lalas Plays to Own Beat : U.S. Defender Is a Hit With Fans but Hits Sour Note With Game's Purists</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Padova	1994–95	Serie A	33	3
Padova (loan)	1995–96	Serie A	11	0
New England Revolution	1996	Major League Soccer	25	1
	1997		30	2
	Total		55	3
Emelec (loan)	1997	Ecuadorian Serie A	10	0
MetroStars	1998	Major League Soccer	25	2
Kansas City Wizards	1999	Major League Soccer	30	4
Los Angeles Galaxy	2001	Major League Soccer	11	2
	2002		26	4
	2003		22	1
	Total		59	7
Career total			223	19

International

Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lalas goal.

List of international goals scored by Alexi Lalas

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	May 8, 1993	Miami, United States	Template:Fb	1–0	1–2	Friendly
2	June 9, 1993	Foxboro, United States	Template:Fb	2–0	2–0	1993 U.S. Cup
3	June 22, 1993	Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Ecuador	Template:Fb	2–0	3–3	1993 Copa América
4	July 17, 1993	Dallas, United States	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup
5	November 7, 1993	Fullerton, United States	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	Friendly
6	January 29, 1994	Seattle, United States	Template:Fb	1–1	1–1	Friendly
7	July 14, 1995	Paysandú, Uruguay	Template:Fb	2–0	3–0	1995 Copa América
8	October 8, 1995	Washington, D.C., United States	Template:Fb	1–3	4–3	Friendly
9	February 1, 1997	Guangzhou, China	Template:Fb	1–0	1–1	Friendly
10	June 17, 1997	Jacksonville, United States	Template:Fb	1–0	2–1	Friendly

Honors

Los Angeles Galaxy

• MLS Cup: 2002<ref name="ussoc">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Supporters' Shield: 2002<ref name="ussoc" />
• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2001<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

United States

• U.S. Cup: 1995<ref name="U.S. Cup" />

Individual

• Hermann Trophy: 1991<ref name="college1" />
• Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year: 1991<ref name="college1" />
• Honda Player of the Year: 1995<ref name="ussoc" />
• U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 1995<ref name="ussoc" />
• MLS Best XI: 2002<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• MLS All-Star: 1996,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 1997,<ref>All-Star Game flashback, 1997 at MLSsoccer.com</ref> 1998,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 1999<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:MLS player
• Template:ESPN FC
• Template:NFT player
• Alexi Lalas at USSoccerPlayers
• Template:Olympics.com
• Template:Olympedia
• Template:AllMusic