Former United States international defender Alexi Lalas said on Thursday that he owes a debt of gratitude to Rutgers for giving him a chance to play college soccer.
Lalas, one of the best center-backs produced by the United States over the past 30 years, starred for the Rutgers men’s soccer team for four years beginning in 1991. A midfielder then, he was an integral part of two Scarlet Knights teams that went to the Final Four.
He was a part of two World Cup squads and starred for the 1994 team. Lalas parlayed this strong performance in the World Cup into signing with Italian Serie A club Padova.
Lalas was asked on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, about his choice of colleges. Now an analyst for FOX, Lalas posted a message where he expressed his appreciation for Rutgers:
None. I got rejected everywhere I applied. Rutgers took a chance on me and I will forever be grateful. https://t.co/rxgF9QzWg7
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) August 24, 2023
Lalas partnered with Carli Lloyd this month to provide commentary for the recently completed FIFA Women’s World Cup. Lloyd is a former United States international and, like Lalas, starred at Rutgers.
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