Alexi Lalas was one of the popular faces of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Representing the men’s national soccer team of the United States as a defender, Lalas was able to set himself apart in the tournament; not only as a fine player but also for his unique looks: he kept long hair and beards that earned him a lot of attention.
Born on the 1st of June 1970, Panayotis Alexander Lalas has retired from being a professional soccer player and now works for Fox Sports as an analyst, among other things. There are many things that are worth knowing about this soccer star as you will find in the 7 facts discussed below.
7 Facts Everyone Should Know About Alexi Lalas
1. What Nationality Is Alexi Lalas and Where Did He Go to High School?
From the foregoing, it is pretty obvious that the man is a citizen of the United States of America. But then, there are a lot of people who have had reasons to wonder if Lalas is originally from the country. Alexi was born in Birmingham, Michigan to Anne Harding Woodworth (mother) and Demetrios Lalas (father). From what we gathered, the latter was Greek whereas the former was an American.
The soccer star was a student at Cranbrook Kingswood School located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Records suggest he was a fine soccer player in high school as he was named the school’s Player of the Year in 1987. Apart from soccer, he captained the school’s hockey team and even won a state championship. After high school, Lalas moved on to Rutgers University where he played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from 1988 to 1991.
2. He Is the First American to Play in Italy’s Serie A
Alexi Lalas decided to leave college in 1991 and devote his time to the U.S national team. Nevertheless, his efforts to establish himself as a professional soccer player yielded no spectacular results until he represented his country at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Thanks to the attention he gained during the event, he signed with Padova and made history as the first American soccer player to play in Italy (Serie A).
3. He Has Managed a few Teams
Alexi barely spent two seasons with Padova before he moved on and played for clubs like the New England Revolution, Emelec, MetroStars, Kansas City Wizards, and the Los Angeles Galaxy. He was part of the USA squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Nonetheless, he didn’t get to play any game, so he went on a two-year sabbatical and eventually ended his career in 2004.
Following the end of his playing days, Alexi got into general management and in that capacity, served as the general manager of Major League Soccer teams like New York Red Bulls, San Jose Earthquakes, and Los Angeles Galaxy.
4. Alexi Has Been Inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
Being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame is probably the biggest honor in American soccer. Lalas received this honor in 2016 for his achievements in soccer. Briana Scurry, Cindy Parlow, Brandi Chastain, and Shannon MacMillan are some of the recent inductees.
5. He Was the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 1995
This is hardly a surprise when one considers his performance the previous year at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Also in 1995, Alexi was recognized as Honda Player of the Year. His career boasts of other honors like being a part of the MLS All-Star in 1996 and MLS Best XI in 2002. Club-wise and with Los Angeles Galaxy, he won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2000, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2001, the MLS Cup, and the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2002. During his college career, Alexi Lalas was named the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year in 1991 and he won the Hermann Trophy the same year.
6. He Currently Plays for Hollywood United F.C.
Even though the man no longer plays football professionally, it is known that he plays from time to time for Hollywood United, an amateur team that competes in the United States Adult Soccer Association’s Region IV.
See Also: Thorgan Hazard – Who Is He, and Is He As Good As Eden? 5 Intriguing Facts
7. Alexi Lalas Is A Big Fan of Rock Music
He doesn’t only listen to rock music but spends his time making them. Alexi has released at least 7 solo albums and has been a member of a band called The Gypsies since his college days. The Gypsies have been able to gain some traction, they even opened for Hootie & The Blowfish in one of their European concerts sometime in 1998.
Bonus Fact: Alexi Lalas has been a husband to Anne Rewey since the 14th of December 2002 and they are parents to two children named Sophie and Henry Lalas.
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