Steve Ralston

Steve Ralston (born June 14, 1974) is an American former soccer player and manager who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his playing career in Major League Soccer with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the New England Revolution, retiring in 2010 as the league's all-time career leader in assists (135), appearances (378), starts (372), and minutes played (33,143). He also held the U.S. record for professional appearances (412) in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2020, Major League Soccer selected Ralston as one of the greatest players in league history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ralston served as assistant manager at several teams, including the Houston Dynamo and San Jose Earthquakes, including a brief stint as the interim head coach at the Earthquakes in 2018.

Club career

Ralston was drafted 18th overall in the 1996 MLS College Draft by the Tampa Bay Mutiny out of Florida International University,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and quickly established himself as one of the best players in the league, starting 31 matches in the club's inaugural campaign, scoring seven goals and notching two assists,<ref name="Steve Ralston MLS Career Statistics">Template:Cite web</ref> and concluding the year as the first player in MLS history to win the Rookie of the Year Award.<ref name="Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year Winners List">Template:Cite web</ref> He also helped the club lift the first-ever Supporters' Shield.<ref name="Steve Ralston St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame Profile"/> In his second season, Ralston started 29 matches and scored five goals, adding 11 assists.<ref name="Steve Ralston MLS Career Statistics"/> He was named to the 1997 MLS All-Star team.<ref name="Steve Ralston St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame Profile"/> He started 29 matches in 1998, again scoring five goals, and recording eight assists.<ref name="Steve Ralston MLS Career Statistics"/> In 1999, Ralston was voted Mutiny Team MVP, MLS Best XI, and won the MLS Fair Play Award.<ref name="Steve Ralston St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame Profile">Template:Cite web</ref> He started all 32 matches for the club, scoring five goals and recording a league-leading eighteen assists.<ref name="1999 Major League Soccer Statistics">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Steve Ralston MLS Career Statistics"/> In 2000, Ralston was named an MLS All-Star for the second time, won the MLS Fair Play Award for the second time, and finished second in the league in assists, with 17.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In total, Ralston played for the Mutiny for six years, leaving only after the team was contracted in 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ralston departed as the Mutiny as the club's all-time leader in games played (177) and points (130).Template:Citation needed

On January 11, 2002, Ralston was selected by the New England Revolution in the 2002 Allocation Draft.<ref name="Club History Coach and Player Registry">Template:Cite web</ref> In his first year with the Revolution, Ralston led the league in assists with 19.<ref name="2002 Major League Soccer Statistics">Template:Cite web</ref> He was named MLS Best XI for the second time, and an MLS All-Star for the third time.<ref name="2024 Media Guide">Template:Cite book</ref> He helped the team reach the MLS Cup final for the first time, ultimately losing to the LA Galaxy on a Golden Goal in extra time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ralston was named an MLS All-Star in 2004, and won goal of the week twice - in week 15 and 19.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> He was subsequently a finalist for MLS Goal of the Year, and was named Revolution Team MVP.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/><ref name="New England Revolution Team MVP Award History">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2006, Ralston was a finalist for the MLS Fair Play Award.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> He was again named an MLS All-Star in 2007, and led the league in assists, with 14.<ref name="2007 Major League Soccer Statistics">Template:Cite web</ref> On July 14, 2007 against the New York Red Bulls, Ralston surpassed his former teammate Carlos Valderrama to become the MLS all-time leader in assists, with 115.<ref name="Club History Coach and Player Registry"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007 Ralston also helped the club win its first-ever silverware in the form of the 2007 U.S. Open Cup.<ref name="U.S. Open Cup 2007">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2008, Ralston was named MLS Player of the Week twice - in matchweeks four and five.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> He was named an MLS All-Star for the sixth time. He also won the Revolution team Golden Boot award, scoring eight goals and recording seven assists.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> That year he helped the club secure its second-ever piece of silverware, the 2008 North American SuperLiga, scoring in the final and converting a penalty during the subsequent shoot-out.<ref name="2008 North American SuperLiga">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009 Ralston won the MLS Fair Play Award, and was named Revolution Humanitarian of the Year.<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He suffered a season-ending knee injury in September of the 2009 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ralston's contract with the Revolution ended at the conclusion of the 2009 season,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and he left the club to become the first-ever signing of new USSF Division 2 club AC St. Louis.<ref name="Soccer By Ives Ralston Signs with AC St. Louis">Template:Cite web</ref> Ralston was one of the team's starting midfielders, and an assistant coach to head coach Claude Anelka.<ref name="Soccer By Ives Ralston Signs with AC St. Louis"/>

After AC St. Louis ran in to financial difficulties, Ralston agreed to leave by mutual consent and immediately joined up with his former club New England Revolution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In Ralston's first appearance back with the New England Revolution, he suffered a left elbow dislocation. In July 2010, he announced his retirement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ralston ended his Major League Soccer career as the league's leader in minutes played (33,143), games started (372), appearances (378), and assists (135).<ref name="Enterprise News Steve Ralston Retirement">Template:Cite web</ref> In thirteen years in the league, he scored 76 goals and had 135 assists in 378 regular season matches, and added three goals and seven assists in 30 playoff matches.<ref name="Steve Ralston MLS Career Statistics"/><ref name="Enterprise News Steve Ralston Retirement"/> He also served as captain for several seasons with New England, from 2007-2009.<ref name="Enterprise News Steve Ralston Retirement"/>

International career

Ralston appeared for the United States national team 36 times over an 11-year span and scored 4 international goals. His first cap came on January 17, 1997, against Peru. His last was for the squad that won the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He was never selected to a World Cup roster.

Ralston had a break out year for the United States national team in 2005 by earning 15 caps. He scored the game-winning goal in a World Cup qualifying match against Mexico on September 3, 2005. The victory for the United States clinched qualification in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.<ref>Keller blanks Mexico to lead USA to World Cup</ref> Due to a later injury, he was only listed as an alternate for the United States at the World Cup.

Coaching career

In July 2010, Ralston took an assistant coaching job at the Houston Dynamo with his former Mutiny teammate Dominic Kinnear.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On January 6, 2015, the San Jose Earthquakes announced Ralston would join Kinnear in San Jose and once again serve as his assistant coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>Template:NFT player</ref>

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
United States	1997	4	0
	1999	1	0
	2000	2	0
	2003	7	2
	2004	3	0
	2005	15	2
	2006	1	0
	2007	3	0
Total		36	4

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

List of international goals scored by Steve Ralston

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Template:Abbr
1	Template:Dts	Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States	Template:Fb	4–0	4–0	Friendly	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2	Template:Dts	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States	Template:Fb	3–0	5–0	2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
3	Template:Dts	Legion Field, Birmingham, United States	Template:Fb	2–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
4	Template:Dts	Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, United States	Template:Fb	1–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Honors

United States

• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2005<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

New England Revolution

• U.S. Open Cup: 2007<ref name="U.S. Open Cup 2007"/>
• North American SuperLiga: 2008<ref name="2008 North American SuperLiga"/>

Tampa Bay Mutiny

• Supporters' Shield: 1996<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Individual

• MLS 50/50 Club<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• MLS Rookie of the Year: 1996<ref name="Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year Winners List"/>
• MLS All-Star: 1997,<ref>All-Star Game flashback, 1997 at MLSsoccer.com</ref> 2000,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2002<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> 2004,<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> 2007,<ref name="2024 Media Guide"/> 2008<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• MLS Best XI (3): 1999, 2000, 2002
• MLS Fair Play Award (3): 1999, 2000, 2009
• MLS top assist provider: 1999,<ref name="1999 Major League Soccer Statistics"/> 2002,<ref name="2002 Major League Soccer Statistics"/> 2007<ref name="2007 Major League Soccer Statistics"/>

External links

• Template:MLS player
• Houston Dynamo staff profile
• US Soccer profile