Like any athlete who played here can attest, Boston becomes ingrained in the soul. Such is the case with former Revolution star Alexi Lalas, who is among this year’s inductees to the New England Sports Museum’s “The Tradition.”
“One thing you learn quickly, living here, is that it’s a sports town,’’ said Lalas, who works as an analyst with ESPN. “They love their athletes. They love their teams. They have high expectations. At that time of life, I look back fondly. It shaped me as a person and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. To be associated with all these athletes who did a lot more than I ever did is a real honor.”
Lalas, 43, did not start playing soccer until he was 11. He attended the Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where he was a member of both the soccer and hockey teams. As a senior, Alexi captained the high school state championship hockey team. On the soccer pitch, he was tabbed the 1987 Michigan high school player of the year.
A renowned free spirit who played in a rock band called the Gypsies, Lalas went on to Rutgers University, where he played four seasons of soccer, winning the Hermann Trophy in 1991 as the top collegiate player in the nation.
After playing central defense for the United States in the 1994 World Cup, Lalas became the first modern-era American to play soccer in the Italian top division, Serie A, when he inked a deal with Padova. Lalas made 33 appearances with the White Shields, scoring three goals.
“Every Sunday I was going up against incredible players,’’ Lalas said. “I had to adapt to a new culture, a new league, a new language, and it made me a better player and it gave me a terrific experience as a person.”
The fledgling MLS allocated Lalas to the Revolution, for which he became a mainstay on the backline in 1996 and 1997, appearing in 57 games (including playoffs) and scoring three times. Lalas later played in MLS with the MetroStars, Kansas City Wizards and Los Angeles Galaxy, winning an MLS Cup title with LA in 2002. During his MLS career, Lalas also earned 96 caps with the U.S. national team.
“I was playing with the national team and I remember we played a game at Foxboro in 1993 against England before the run-up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup and I scored a goal and it really was sort of my coming-out party,’’ Lalas said of the United States’ stunning 2-0 victory. “If I had a dollar for everyone who later told me they were at that game, I’d be a rich man.”
Lalas still maintains that his most cherished accomplishment was being part of a neophyte Revolution team that helped provide the foundation for MLS.
“I think one of the things that I’m most proud of was the decision to come back to play MLS in 1996 and be part of the first kick, if you will. We opened MLS on the road in Tampa and when that whistle blew, it was incredible,’’ Lalas said.
“(I also remember) the first win at the old Foxboro Stadium and what it meant to the Kraft family, a family I have so much respect for, and it meant a lot. I also like to remember a Wednesday night game in the rain, in horrible conditions, and about 13,000 people showed up and we knew we were on to something. It proved they love their soccer.”
After his playing career ended, Lalas took over as general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, beginning in 2004. He became the president/GM of the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in June 2005, and oversaw the club’s transition after the Austrian energy drink company Red Bull purchased the team the following year.
In April 2006, Lalas resigned his position with the Red Bulls and took the reins of the Galaxy. He was among the key figures to convince English national team captain David Beckham to play for Los Angeles.
Still, his Boston memories remain special.
“I lived in the Back Bay my first year and in Weston the second year and I also played with my band in some of the local dives, cut some records, made a couple of albums, so that was a real special time back there,’’ Lalas said.
