Tag: Alexi Lalas

Lalas: Nottingham Forest decided long ago it can’t count on Reyna

The USMNT star made his first start for Forest over the weekend

Gio Reyna may have finally made a start for Nottingham Forest, but that doesn’t mean the club believes it can count on him.

That is the opinion of Alexi Lalas, who spoke about the U.S. men’s national team midfielder’s dire club situation on the latest episode of his State of the Union podcast.

Reyna finally made his first Premier League start over the weekend, notching an assist from a corner kick as Forest drew Wolves 2-2 in a vital match.

It took the American nearly three months of his loan from Borussia Dortmund to get his first start, having played a total of just 90 minutes for Forest prior to Saturday’s match.

Though Reyna has finally made a breakthrough, Forest now has just five matches remaining this season. As a disappointing loan stint gets set to conclude, Lalas didn’t mince words about the USMNT star’s situation.

“You don’t need me to tell you that Gio starting, and Gio playing after what has been an absolutely abysmal time in terms of this loan to Forest is a good thing. Yes it’s a good thing. Does it change who Gio is as a player? No. Does it change how Forest in general look at him going forward? No,” Lalas said.

“I think they have gotten plenty of looks at what Gio is. And I think they have made the determination long ago that this is not somebody for the long haul. Not somebody they want to count on.”

Forest will face Everton on Sunday in a crucial relegation six-pointer. Reyna’s side enters the match one point and one place above the drop zone, with Everton just one point and one place above Forest.

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Lalas: USMNT ‘glued to TV’ as OJ chase unfolded on eve of World Cup

Several USMNT stars didn’t get the sleep they needed ahead of the biggest game of their life

Former U.S. men’s national team star Alexi Lalas recalled one of the wildest moments in recent American history on Thursday, following the news that O.J. Simpson had died of cancer at age 76.

On June 17, 1994, the nation was captivated by a slow-speed car chase on the freeway in Los Angeles, as Simpson sat in the passenger seat of a white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings.

Earlier in the day, Los Angeles police said the ex-NFL star was a fugitive who was sought in the killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.

Eventually, Cowlings and Simpson led police to Simpson’s home, where he surrendered. Simpson was acquitted of the murders after a trial that captivated the nation over 11 months between 1994 and 1995.

The events of June 17 took place the night before the USMNT opened the 1994 World Cup on home soil, facing Switzerland at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan.

As news spread of Simpson’s death, Lalas went on X to recall the surreal moment.

“It was the start of our World Cup,” he said. “Biggest game of our lives. Night of June 17th, we all sat in our hotel rooms glued to the OJ Bronco chase happening in LA.”

Lalas also spoke to The Athletic in 2019 about the events of that summer evening on their 25th anniversary.

“Look, everybody remembers where they were, if they were around, and cognizant of what was going on,” Lalas said. “It is that seminal type of moment: Where were you when this was happening? It was the ultimate reality show unfolding in real time in front of you.

“The whole team was doing this. Everybody was watching it. You would move from the television in the lobby of the hotel, to the television where we were eating, to the television in our room. It was this running show that seemed like it would never end. And yet you couldn’t turn away and you were waiting for that conclusion.”

Former USMNT goalkeeper Tony Meola told ESPN in 2014 that he wasn’t as rested as he should have been for one of the biggest games of his life, which would end in a 1-1 draw.

“I was exhausted on the day of the game. I roomed with John Harkes and we had spent the night watching the O.J. Simpson chase. Harkes kept yelling at me to turn the television off but I was totally glued to it,” Meola said.

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Alexi Lalas on picking Rutgers: ‘I will forever be grateful’

Alexi Lalas expresses his appreciation for Rutgers.

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:

 

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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The problem with Alexi Lalas’s ridiculous take on USWNT becoming ‘irrelevant’ if they stop winning

His tweet was so wrong.

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The moment the ball (barely) crossed the goal line in the USWNT’s World Cup Round of 16 loss to Sweden, narratives poured out from all corners of the internet.

We saw countless takes on how this team was “too woke” and “too outspoken” — all supporting the obnoxious conclusion that they deserved to be rooted against (you can deflate that one by looking at Sweden’s players speaking out on inequality).

But there was one that stuck in my craw: A tweet from FOX Sports’ Alexi Lalas, the former USMNT player turned analyst who once sent a tone-deaf tweet about how it took “courage to actually stand for the national anthem” in reference to a NWSL game before he deleted and walked it back.

Here’s what he said in response to how it was strange to see Americans celebrating an American team losing:

It’s that last bit that I can’t get away from.

Winning is NOT how the USWNT has “derived its power.” Collectively, the players on that team used their voices to speak out against injustice, to peacefully protest, to call for equal pay, and succeeded. Can’t get more American than that.

And they certainly won’t be irrelevant now that the team that won two World Cups in a row bowed out earlier than expected. In fact, it’s just the beginning.

The torch has been passed, the spark kindled. The next generation of players and younger fans understand that even stepping on to the national stage gives them the platform to speak out (and for those who don’t make it that far, they can join with countless others in support).

This rhetoric is tiring and gross, but I can’t imagine the team will do anything but laugh if it sees that tweet or the countless others sent by so many who wished ill upon the women’s team.

Because what Megan Rapinoe and her teammates have done will stand the test of time. Just like those on the current roster who was inspired when Brandi Chastain kicked the Cup-winner in 1999, there are so many who will know what it takes to make change in the world.

And it won’t take winning another World Cup to make that happen.

Quick hits: Sean Payton is banning what? … The Thompson Twins are hilarious … and more

Feb 6, 2023; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks at the UCHealth Training Center.
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

— Sean Payton says he’s banning…Gilligan hats from the Broncos’ preseason sideline. Didn’t have any clue what that meant until Robert Zeglinski figured it out here.

— The Thompson twins arguing over who will dunk on the other first is the best. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

— The Orioles are rightfully being blasted across the internet for suspending this broadcast because he simply did his job. Mary Clarke has more.

— Pablo Reyes’ game-winning grand slam had to hurt the Royals even more considering the controversial swing-or-no-swing call that came before it. Yikes. What do you think?

That’s all, folks. Have a great one!

What did Alexi Lalas say about the United States national team’s World Cup performance?

Alexi Lalas weighs in on the United States’ result against Wales in the World Cup.

The United States national team drew 1-1 with Wales on Monday afternoon in the World Cup opener for both nations. It was a disappointing result for the United States, as they opened the tournament with a strong first half that was near dominant.

Former United States national team defender Alexi Lalas weighed in on the result and what it means for the group’s chances to qualify for the knockout rounds.

Lalas, a former college standout at Rutgers, attended the 1990 World Cup in Italy as a fan. He was a part of two World Cup rosters for the United States in 1994 and 1998. The central defender parlayed an outstanding 1994 World Cup into a deal with Padova, making him the first American to play in Serie A.

Now a commentator with FoxSports, Lalas was frustrated at the United States’ inability to get a win against Wales.

Scroll down and check out what Lalas had to say on Monday following the United States’ tie against Wales in the World Cup!

Fox unveils full 2022 World Cup broadcast team, including Darke pairing with Donovan

Darke and Donovan will team up after the former called the latter’s iconic 2010 World Cup goal

Fox Sports has unveiled its full broadcast team for the 2022 World Cup, which includes a broadcast-booth reunion of Ian Darke and Landon Donovan.

Darke will make his Fox Sports debut, though it will be the eighth career World Cup for the venerable British commentator. Donovan, meanwhile, will be make his broadcast booth debut after previously working for Fox as a studio analyst.

Donovan and Darke will be forever linked together after the former’s iconic goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup was soundtracked by the latter’s iconic call.

“It’s a pretty neat pairing with all the history those two have together,” lead host Rob Stone told Pro Soccer Wire. “It’s always great to have two legends working with you. Ian has been doing this for a long, long time and is just one of the classiest voices in the game. And I think Landon right now still goes down at least in my book as the greatest U.S. men’s player ever, and to have somebody of that caliber and the things he’s witnessed and done on this stage as part of our team only makes us stronger.”

USMNT great Clint Dempsey and USWNT icon Carli Lloyd will also be making their World Cup debuts for Fox, as the pair will serve as studio analysts.

Speaking about Dempsey and Lloyd, lead studio analyst Alexi Lalas told Pro Soccer Wire: “It’s not just because they are big names, but because they’re good, and because they’re opinionated. And that’s what we want. We want it to be discussions and we want it to be debates and we want people that are knowledgeable and have a history, and come to it with their own ideas.”

As they did during the 2018 World Cup, John Strong and Stuart Holden will anchor the lead broadcast booth for Fox, putting the pair in line to call the final as well as several other marquee matches.

Aside from Donovan-Darke and Strong-Holden, the other three announcer duos will be JP Dellacamera and Cobi Jones, Derek Rae and Aly Wagner, and Jacqui Oatley and Warren Barton.

Stone will once again be the lead host, while Kate Abdo will also handle hosting duties, including for the network’s “FIFA World Cup Tonight” recap show.

As Fox previously announced, former NFL star Chad Johnson will join the network’s World Cup coverage as an analyst on “FIFA World Cup Tonight.”

Lalas and Stone are looking forward to having Johnson on the team in spite of, and perhaps even because of, his lack of a soccer background.

“It goes back to a responsibility of finding interesting and entertaining and even provocative voices out there that are part of the game,” Lalas said. “We welcomed him with open arms because he thinks about the game in an interesting way. He has a history in the game, whether people know it or not, and he’s incredibly entertaining.”

Stone added: “Sometimes, it’s really beneficial to have that outside perspective as well. Yes, the guy cares about the game and loves the game but he’s going to be looking at it much more like a fan, like, ‘What did I just see and why did that happen?'”

Fox announcers for World Cup 2022

Play-by-Play/Match Analyst
John Strong and Stu Holden
JP Dellacamera and Cobi Jones
Derek Rae and Aly Wagner
Ian Darke and Landon Donovan
Jacqui Oatley and Warren Barton

Studio Analysts
Alexi Lalas
Carli Lloyd
Chad Johnson
Clint Dempsey
Eniola Aluko
Kelly Smith
Maurice Edu

Studio Hosts
Rob Stone
Kate Abdo

Reporters
Jenny Taft
Rodolfo Landeros
Geoff Shreeves

Feature Correspondent
Tom Rinaldi

Rules Analyst
Dr. Joe Machnik
Mark Clattenburg

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College expansion: Alexi Lalas says that the Big Ten conference needs to rebrand, needs a new name

After adding UCLA and USC last week, Alexi Lalas says the conference needs to rebrand.

As one of the most famous alumni of Rutgers, Alexi Lalas has an opinion on the expansion of the Big Ten to include UCLA and USC. Chief among those thoughts? Changing the name of the Big Ten now that it will soon be at 16 teams.

Lalas has an opinion on most things, but that is beside the point.

Last week, UCLA and USC were added to the Big Ten, expanding the leaders and legends to now have a West Coast footprint. A rather significant footprint at that. The addition of the two Los Angeles colleges helps the Big Ten further expand in both football and basketball while adding a vitally important media market.

A former men’s soccer player at Rutgers, Lalas went on to do alright after four years on the banks. He played for the United States national team, including starring in the 1994 World Cup. After that, he became the first American to ever play in Italy’s famed Serie A, then returned in 1996 to MLS where he became an All-Star and one of the faces of the then-emerging league.

He made 96 appearances with the United States national team, scoring 10 goals.

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Now an analyst with FoxSports, Lalas weighed in on the Big Ten expansion in his recent podcast, intertwining some humor into the process.

“Number one, we’re talking about the Big Ten, right? The Big Ten has not been the Big Ten for a long time, okay? And this certainly only makes it that much bigger. So it’s not 10 and it’s never going to be 10 going forward. So first off, a rebrand is in order. All right, call it the ‘Big League’ or whatever you want to call it. I like the ‘Big thing.’ I think you can do something with that, but stop with the numbers, right? Now because it’s just getting absurd,” Lalas said on the ‘State of the Union’ podcast this week.

“As far as the footprint out there…I come at it from I want to see great teams play. I come in and maybe from to use the soccer world- from a Super League perspective and these are…they don’t like to be called businesses.

“But let’s be honest, when it comes to universities and colleges out there, they are businesses and certainly their athletic programs are businesses in that while they can be nonprofits, there is still a business element in the way that they run. And whether it’s businesses, whether it’s schools, whether it’s human beings, we are all going to do what is beneficial to us. Okay, it doesn’t mean that there’s not you don’t think about others. It doesn’t mean you can’t be charitable, but ultimately, this is good for the likes of UCLA, and USC.”

In terms of soccer, UCLA finished the season 9-6-1 and ranked No. 22.

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Historically, they are one of the best programs in college soccer history. The men’s soccer program has won five NCAA Tournament titles and has made the tournament five times since 2014.

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Rutgers men’s soccer coming off a season of success and growth

Rutgers men’s soccer took a big step forward with a very solid 2021 season.

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In now his third season as head coach of Rutgers men’s soccer, Jim McElderry has seen steady growth for his program. This year, Rutgers finished a very solid 9-6-2 in what must unequivocally be called a step forward for the program.

It was a campaign that built on the spring season where the Scarlet Knights went 4-4-1.

“Definitely, [I] think we’ve grown in a lot of ways in terms of the depth of our team,” McElderry told ‘Rutgers Wire’ last week.

“We grew in the overall expectation of our group for what is needed to be a successful Big Ten team. We also had some moments when players were injured or sick, we had the guys to come in and play the way we wanted to play.

“Sometimes we needed a little more quality here in moments but overall, I’m happy with where the group is headed. You’re never satisfied though.”

The Rutgers men’s soccer program has a long history of success that includes appearances in the Final Four and a number of top players including Alexi Lalas, Hamisi Amani-Dove, Jon Conway, Joshua Gros and Dilly Duka among others. McElderry talked about the natural recruiting turf that Rutgers is centrally located in as being a real positive for his program, as are new facilities that include two new practice fields.

Looking back on the season, McElderry liked that his team played a lot of close games. For a young squad, this is important for building their mentality.

“We need to have those high expectations,” McElderry said. “I also felt really good about the mentality of our group.”