Roy Lassiter facts for kids

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Roy Lassiter

Personal information
Full name	Roy Lee Lassiter
Date of birth	(1969-03-09) March 9, 1969 (age 56)
Place of birth	Washington, D.C., United States
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
1985–1988	Athens Drive
1989	Raleigh United
1989	Lees-McRae College
1990–1992	NC State Wolfpack
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1993	Turrialba	25	(1)
1993–1994	Carmelita	30	(7)
1994–1996	Alajuelense	43	(17)
1996–1998	Tampa Bay Mutiny	60	(37)
1996–1997	→ Genoa (loan)	12	(0)
1998–1999	D.C. United	55	(36)
2000	Miami Fusion	27	(8)
2001–2002	Kansas City Wizards	25	(7)
2002	D.C. United	12	(0)
2003	Virginia Beach Mariners	25	(7)
2004	Laredo Heat	1	(0)
Total		315	(120)
National team
1992–2000	United States	34	(4)
Teams managed
2017	Kitsap Soccer Club
2022–2023	Houston Dynamo 2 (assistant)
2024	Carolina Core FC
Honours Representing  United States Runner-up CONCACAF Gold Cup 1998 Third CONCACAF Gold Cup 1996 Men's Soccer
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Roy Lee Lassiter (born March 9, 1969) is a former professional soccer player from the United States. He was a talented forward, known for scoring many goals. Roy started his professional career playing in Costa Rica.

In 1996, he came back to the United States. He joined Major League Soccer (MLS) when the league first began. From 1996 to 1999, Roy was one of the best goal scorers in MLS. After his playing career, he became a coach. He was an assistant coach for MLS Next Pro club Houston Dynamo 2. In June 2023, Roy Lassiter became the Head Coach of Carolina Core FC.

Roy is also the father of Ariel Lassiter. Ariel is also a soccer player and plays for CF Montréal in MLS.

Early Life and Soccer Training

Roy Lassiter was born in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He went to Athens Drive High School. As a senior, he was named the North Carolina State 4-A Player of the Year. He was also an All-American high school player.

That year, Roy helped his high school soccer team win the state championship. He scored an amazing 47 goals, setting a state record. After high school, he attended Lees-McRae College in 1987. His team won the D3 National Championship in 1988. Later, he moved to North Carolina State University in 1989. There, he was recognized as a First Team All-ACC and All-South player in 1991.

Professional Club Career

Roy Lassiter began his professional soccer journey in Costa Rica in 1992. He played for clubs like Turrialba and Carmelita. In 1995, he joined Alajuelense.

In 1996, Roy returned to the United States to play in the new Major League Soccer (MLS). He joined the Tampa Bay Mutiny. That year, he was the top goal scorer in MLS, with 27 goals. This was a league record for many years. After this great season, he played for Genoa in Italy for six months.

In 1998, Roy moved to D.C. United. He played two seasons with them. He helped D.C. United win the MLS Cup in 1999. Later, he played for the Miami Fusion in 2000. He then joined the Kansas City Wizards in 2001. In the middle of the 2002 season, he returned to D.C. United.

Roy finished his MLS career with 88 regular season goals. He also scored 13 goals in MLS playoffs. This made him one of the top playoff scorers in league history. He ended his professional playing career in 2003 with the A-League team Virginia Beach Mariners. He also played a few games for the Laredo Heat in 2004.

Playing for the U.S. National Team

Roy Lassiter was first called to play for the U.S. national team in January 1992. He played his first international match (called a "cap") as a substitute. This was in a game against the Commonwealth of Independent States. A few days later, he got injured during training.

His next chance to play for the national team came over three years later, in August 1995. In October 1995, he scored his first goal for the U.S. team. It was the winning goal in a 4–3 victory against Saudi Arabia. Roy's performance continued to improve. He became a regular player for the U.S. team in 1997.

He played consistently for the U.S. in 1997. However, he played less in 1998. He was chosen as an alternate player for the 1998 FIFA World Cup team. He played his last game for the national team in 2000. Overall, Roy played in 34 international matches for his country and scored 4 goals. He also played in four FIFA World Cup qualification matches.

International Goals Scored

Roy Lassiter scored these goals for the United States national team:

List of international goals scored by Roy Lassiter

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	October 8, 1995	Washington, D.C., United States	Saudi Arabia	4–3	4–3	Friendly
2	December 14, 1996	Palo Alto, California, United States	Costa Rica	2–0	2-1	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	March 23, 1997	San José, Costa Rica	Costa Rica	2–2	2–3	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	June 29, 1997	San Salvador, El Salvador	El Salvador	1–0	1–1	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

Coaching Career Details

Roy Lassiter has also worked as a soccer coach. Here is a look at his coaching roles:

As of October, 2023

Awards and Achievements

Roy Lassiter earned many honors during his soccer career:

With Alajuelense

• Costa Rican Championship: 1995–96

With Tampa Bay Mutiny

• MLS Supporters' Shield: 1996 (This award goes to the team with the best regular season record.)

With D.C. United

• MLS Cup: 1999 (They were also runner-up in 1998)
• MLS Supporters' Shield: 1999
• CONCACAF Champions League: 1998 (A championship for North American teams)
• Copa Interamericana: 1998 (A championship between North and South American teams)

Individual Awards

• MLS All-Star: 1996, 1998, 1999 (Chosen as one of the best players in the league)
• MLS Golden Boot: 1996 (Award for the top goal scorer in MLS)
• MLS Best XI: 1996 (Chosen as one of the best 11 players in MLS)
• CONCACAF Champions League MVP: 1998 (Most Valuable Player in the CONCACAF Champions League)

See also

In Spanish: Roy Lassiter para niños