Alexi Lalas
Alexi Lalas (born June 1, 1970 in Birmingham, Michigan) is a soccer defender, who became one of the most famous soccer players in the United States after his play in the 1994 World Cup.
After playing his college soccer at Rutgers, Lalas joined the US National Team and became a starter by the 1994 World Cup, when his wild red hair, outgoing personality, and steady play on the field made him a fan favorite. He earned a contract with Padova of Italian Serie A, becoming the first -- and, as of this point, the only American to play in the Italian first division, playing there between 1994 and 1996. In 1995, Alexi was named US Soccer Athlete of the Year. He left Italy for Major League Soccer, where he played for New England Revolution (1996-1997), MetroStars (1998), Kansas City Wizards (1999), and Los Angeles Galaxy (2001-2003). He also played for the US in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. Lalas retired with 99 caps and nine goals for the national team and took a job as the General Manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, becoming one of the youngest executives in American sports.
Alexi Lalas tried to parlay his soccer success into a music career, putting out CDs Woodland, Jet Lag, and Ginger. During his sabbatical from soccer in 2000, he announced soccer matches on NBC for the 2000 Summer Olympics and co-hosted ESPN2's MLS Extratime.
