Thirty Januarys ago, with a shaggy mop of red hair, Alexi Lalas arrived at the Missouri Athletic Club to receive the Hermann Trophy, college soccer鈥檚 Heisman. This past weekend, a conservatively coiffed Lalas returned to the MAC to present the award.
Lalas, 52, has become a staple of U.S. soccer, first playing for the national team and clubs in Major League Soccer, later as a television analyst. He sat down to discuss an array of soccer topics, from the new team in town to Josh Sargent to Becky Sauerbrunn.
The interview has been edited for length.
Q: On this visit, you got a tour of 狐狸视频 City SC鈥檚 stadium. What were your takeaways?
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A: I鈥檝e seen almost every single one ... so it鈥檚 really kind of cool to compare and contrast. This is pretty, pretty impressive. I told them 鈥 and I鈥檓 not just blowing smoke 鈥 the training facilities are the best that I鈥檝e seen. And it should be. And I think they鈥檙e transparent 鈥 they鈥檝e talked to a lot of people what to do and what not to do.
Even from the outside, the stadium really has a modernist type of aesthetic. And there鈥檚 the metallic flat roof. And having the team and the offices and everybody there in one area 鈥 that鈥檚 something that鈥檚 unique, not just relative to the United States or MLS but to the world.
Q: You met Lutz Pfannenstiel, City SC鈥檚 sporting director. What were your thoughts on his vision?
A: The team is the star 鈥 and he鈥檚 even talked about not recognizing designated players, but having much more of an even type of playing field when it comes to the quality of the player, so that you get a uniform type of approach; you don鈥檛 have the peaks and valleys. In theory, that鈥檚 great. In practice, it gets difficult when you are playing, ultimately, a better quality team.
And we know that tactics and physicality and emotion can only do so much. At some point, you have to be able to get the ball, keep the ball and score the goals. And so, I think that that鈥檚 going to be their challenge.
I think that they will be competitive in what he鈥檚 talking about, in the way that they go about playing, that teams will go 鈥 鈥淯gh, can鈥檛 believe we have to play 狐狸视频 again.鈥 They鈥檙e going to work hard. They鈥檙e never going to give up. They鈥檙e all competitive and able soccer players. But the difference-makers are ultimately what decide games. And I鈥檓 not sure that they have that. And that鈥檚 not even a criticism. It鈥檚 by design now, and they might grow into that going forward.
Philosophically, the way that they want to put together their team, there are no major stars. There are certainly players that have experience. And they鈥檙e relying on players with less experience to step up to this MLS level.
When I look at this roster right now, for them even being close at the end to a playoff spot, I think would be an incredible achievement.
However, this is MLS 鈥 they bend over backwards to allow you to compete in terms of the money that you鈥檙e given, the benefits that you鈥檙e given as an expansion team. It鈥檚 been diluted a little over the years. But in a league without promotion-relegation, and in a league where there is a single entity and there鈥檚 a salary cap and there are restrictions in order to manufacture that parity, you should be expected to compete right out of the gate.
Q: What鈥檚 your analysis of City鈥檚 pressing style, in which the team puts pressure on the ball the moment it loses the ball?
A: Lutz was talking about making it difficult for the opposition when they come to this to the stadium. ... It takes all 11 players willing to do that. It takes timing. And when you come up against ultimately, better teams and better players that can break that press, you are incredibly vulnerable and exposed. So there is a risk-reward, like anything in sports. So I love the romance and I love the proactive type of risk that he is willing to take, in terms of the way that they play. But it can also bite you in the (butt).
Q: With the World Cup over, what鈥檚 your assessment of the U.S. men鈥檚 team?
A: I think we left something on the table. I think that with this group, as young and inexperienced as they undoubtedly were, I still feel in that last game against the Dutch 鈥 if we鈥檙e going to go out in the round of 16 against an OK Dutch team, certainly not the best team that we have seen, have it be because they did something special.
And yet, the way we in which we lost the game 鈥 with the mistakes that were made 鈥 was disappointing, because they weren鈥檛 world-beater types of moments and goals. Yes, Netherlands was ruthless. But also, the mistakes that were made are solvable. And they鈥檙e not relative to the youth and experience 鈥 just in that moment, they weren鈥檛 ready. ...
I do think ultimately, over the course of the cycle and the World Cup, it can be viewed as a success. ... I do think that there are positives to take but that doesn鈥檛 mean that there aren鈥檛 also negatives and valid criticisms.
Q: Impressions of 狐狸视频 native Becky Sauerbrunn, captain of the U.S. women鈥檚 national team?
A: I mean, she鈥檚 a legend. And she鈥檚 still kicking. First-ballot Hall of Fame. And that鈥檚 all fine and well from a soccer perspective 鈥 but she鈥檚 also one of the smartest players and people that I鈥檝e met. She thinks about life and she thinks about herself and she thinks about the game with the proper type of context and perspective. And sometimes that鈥檚 rare in athletes, to be quite honest.
As proud I am of everything that she has accomplished on the soccer field, I think she鈥檚 got much more to give 鈥 not just to the sport but to the to the world, off the field. I don鈥檛 know when that鈥檚 going to be 鈥 she seems to be cruising along just fine.
Q: We saw 狐狸视频 native Josh Sargent, 22, in the World Cup. What can he be?
A: So I mean, I think he鈥檚 a wonderful case study. Going to Europe, for so many players, is the be-all and end-all. ... I think we鈥檝e seen him go and struggle at times. He has undeniable talent. But working through that, he鈥檚 going to be a better soccer player and person for having gone through those challenges. And sometimes you got to go multiple places to find that place that really suits you. And I think he鈥檚 certainly in a better place right now.
From a national team perspective, he鈥檚 part of this group of players that is yet to grab a hold of that No. 9 (striker/goal scorer) position, which is still wide open. And so, maybe with another cycle under his belt and that maturation process that鈥檚 undoubtedly is going to happen, maybe he does step up, because it鈥檚 still wide open for somebody to step up. ... He鈥檚 certainly trending upwards, so I鈥檓 excited about that for a number of different reasons, not the least of which is we need as many redheads involved, certainly on the national team, as possible.
Q: Can you put into words your appreciation for 狐狸视频 native Tim Ream, a defensive stalwart, from the World Cup?
A: What he is doing now, he certainly deserves incredible praise. It shouldn鈥檛 come as any surprise. I remember when he first came to MLS, and immediately looked at him and said: That player understands the formulas of the game, the patterns of the game, the geometry of the game, and how keeping the ball, especially in the modern game, is something that is coveted out of defenders. And he has the ability to do so, to not panic, to play out of pressure and to start attacks with what he would what he does.
I鈥檝e got so much love for what he鈥檚 doing now. He鈥檚 not older (at 35), but he鈥檚 still older relative to, of course, a lot of soccer players out there. I think the game has come to him in a way that that he now has all of the tools. ... He understands what he鈥檚 what he鈥檚 good at, and maybe more importantly, what he鈥檚 not necessarily good at, so he doesn鈥檛 put himself in situations to be exposed.
Q: Who is the GOAT of soccer?
A: Diego Maradona.
Q: Interesting, because most people would say Lionel Messi or Pel茅, right?
A: No, no, I think it鈥檚 completely subjective. I can no more tell you who the greatest player is 鈥 or who your greatest player is 鈥 than I can tell you the best wine or the best song or the best piece of art. I think it鈥檚 completely subjective. And it鈥檚 the one that moves you most, I think.
Q: What would be your expectation for U.S. Soccer in the next World Cup?
A: First off, it鈥檚 going to be a very different World Cup. Largest ever, going to 48 teams. They haven鈥檛 yet announced what the grouping is going to be like. But having said that, this group (of American players) is another four years older, and you鈥檇 like to think that they will have matured and evolved to a point where you can expect more out of them.
So obviously, we鈥檙e going as hosts, so qualifying is not a part. However, it actually provides challenges because they鈥檙e not going to go through a qualifying process. The more competitive games that they can get, the better off that they are.
But that鈥檚 a long way of saying 鈥 I expect this team to go and try to win the men鈥檚 World Cup. I know that a lot of people think that I鈥檓 Pollyanna and that鈥檚 delusional or anything like that. Are we on par with Argentinas and the Brazils of the world? No, but in a tournament setting, in a one-off game, things can happen. And with the talent that we have? And obviously your hosting and the power that comes from that 鈥 and certainly having lived through one (in 1994), if you harness that, it can be incredibly powerful. And this generation, I think, is as good and could be better than anything that we鈥檝e ever had. So, go win the World Cup in 2026.