Alexi Lalas facts for kids
Lalas in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Panayotis Alexander Lalas | ||
| Date of birth | June 1, 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1994–1995 | Padova | 33 | (2) |
| 1995–1996 | → Padova (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | New England Revolution | 55 | (3) |
| 1997 | → Emelec (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 1998 | MetroStars | 25 | (2) |
| 1999 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | (4) |
| 2001–2003 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 69 | (7) |
| Total | 235 | (19) | |
| National team | |||
| 1992 | United States U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 1996 | United States Olympic (O.P.) | 3 | (0) |
| 1991–1998 | United States | 96 | (10) |
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Panayotis Alexander Lalas (Greek: Αλέξης Λάλας; born June 1, 1970) is a famous American former soccer player. He mostly played as a defender. Lalas is well-known for playing with the United States men's national soccer team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. His unique long beard and hair made him stand out.
After the World Cup, Lalas made history. He became the first American to play in Italy's top league, Serie A, for the team Calcio Padova.
Lalas later returned to the United States in 1996. He joined the new Major League Soccer (MLS) with the New England Revolution. He also played for teams like Club Sport Emelec in Ecuador, and MLS teams MetroStars and Kansas City Wizards. His most successful time was with Los Angeles Galaxy. With them, he won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and MLS Cup. He retired from playing in 2003. Lalas was known for his strong and tough playing style.
After his playing career, Lalas became a general manager for MLS teams. These included the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, and Los Angeles Galaxy. He was voted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006. Today, he works as a soccer analyst for Fox Sports. He was also a reporter at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Alexi Lalas was born in Birmingham, Michigan, United States. His father, Demetrios Lalas, was from Greece and became the director of Greece's national observatory. His mother, Anne Harding Woodworth, is an American poet. Alexi's younger brother, Greg Lalas, also played professional soccer. He is now a Chief Marketing Officer for the United Soccer League.
Soccer Journey: From High School to Pro
High School Soccer and Hockey
Lalas went to Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He didn't start playing soccer until he was eleven years old. But by his senior year, he was named the 1987 Michigan High School Player of the Year. Besides soccer, he was also the captain of his high school hockey team. They even won the state championship!
College Achievements
Lalas attended Rutgers University. He played on the men's soccer team from 1988 to 1991. During his time with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, his team reached the NCAA Final Four in 1989. They even made it to the National Championship Game in 1990.
Lalas was recognized as an All-American player in 1989, 1990, and 1991. In 1991, he won the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year award. Just like in high school, Lalas also played hockey in college. He was the team's top scorer in 1989.
Lalas left Rutgers in 1991 to focus on the U.S. national team. He later went back to school in 2013. He took many online classes and finished his degree in English with a minor in music in May 2014. He joked that it was "a 26-year plan."
After college, Lalas tried out with the famous English club Arsenal in 1992. However, he didn't join their main team. He then returned home and later joined the United States national team tryouts.
Playing in Italy: Padova
After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Lalas joined the Italian Serie A club Padova. He was a strong defender for the team and scored three goals. Padova finished 14th in the 1994–95 season. They won a special game to stay in the top league.
In 1995, Major League Soccer (MLS) signed Lalas to play in their new league. Since MLS wasn't ready until 1996, they loaned him back to Padova for another season. Lalas played his last game for Padova in February 1996.
Major League Soccer Career
When MLS started in 1996, Lalas was assigned to the New England Revolution. He was a key player for the team in 1996 and 1997. He played his first game for the Revolution on April 13, 1996. He also made the first assist in the team's history. Lalas scored his first Revolution goal in August 1996.
Lalas was chosen as an MLS All-Star in both 1996 and 1997. In November 1997, the Revolution loaned Lalas to an Ecuadorian club called Club Sport Emelec for a month.
In February 1998, Lalas was traded to the MetroStars. He played for them in 1998. Then, in January 1999, he was traded again to the Kansas City Wizards. Lalas played one season with the Wizards before announcing his retirement in October 1999. He was also an MLS All-Star in 1998 and 1999.
Just over a year later, Lalas returned to soccer! He signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy in January 2001. His time with the Galaxy was very successful. In 2001, Lalas helped the Galaxy win the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the 2001 U.S. Open Cup. The next year, Lalas helped the Galaxy win the 2002 Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup 2002. He was named to the 2002 MLS Best XI, which means he was one of the best players in the league. He retired for good in January 2004.
International Soccer for the U.S.
Lalas played 96 games for the United States national team between 1991 and 1998. He scored 10 goals. His first game was a 2–2 tie with Mexico in March 1991.
He became a regular starter for the U.S. team in 1994. He played every minute of all four U.S. games in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was even named an honorable mention All-Star for the tournament. In 1995, Lalas was chosen as the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year. He also scored a goal in a famous game against Saudi Arabia. The U.S. came back from being down 3–0 to win 4–3! Lalas was on the team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup but did not play in any games.
Lalas also played for the United States Olympic soccer team. He was part of the team for the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Life After Playing Soccer
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After retiring from playing, Lalas worked as a president and general manager for MLS teams. He was with the San Jose Earthquakes from 2004 to 2005. Then he moved to the MetroStars/New York Red Bulls from 2005 to 2006. From 2006 to 2008, Lalas was the President of the LA Galaxy. During this time, the club signed the famous player David Beckham.
After his time at the Galaxy, Lalas became a commentator for ESPN for six years. Later, he joined Fox Sports as a commentator. He also appeared in the video games FIFA 16 and FIFA 17 as a legendary player. Today, Lalas co-hosts a podcast called State of the Union with David Mosse. They talk about American soccer.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Lalas can speak Spanish and Italian, along with his native English and Greek. He is married and has two children.
Lalas is a big fan of the hair metal band Ratt.
Musical Career
Alexi Lalas is also a musician! He has released eight solo albums over the past thirty years. Some of his albums include Far from Close (1996), Ginger (1998), and Melt Away (2022). He has always loved rock music. Lalas even played in a band called The Gypsies. They opened for the band Hootie & the Blowfish during a European tour in 1998. The Gypsies also had their own album called Woodland, which Lalas released during the 1994 World Cup.
Honors and Awards
Rutgers
- Hermann Trophy: 1991
- Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year: 1991
Los Angeles Galaxy
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2000
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2001
- MLS Cup: 2002
- MLS Supporters' Shield: 2002
United States
- U.S. Cup: 1995
Individual
- Honda Player of the Year: 1995
- U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 1995
- MLS Best XI: 2002
- MLS All-Star: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
See also
In Spanish: Alexi Lalas para niños
