Los Angeles Galaxy president and general manager Alexi Lalas was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y., on Monday, highlighting a class that also includes one of Major League Soccer's most important figures in investor/operator Philip Anschutz, women's national team legend Carla Overbeck and North American Soccer League and U.S. national team veteran Al Trost.
Lalas enters the Hall of Fame as one of U.S. soccer's most recognizable figures after an illustrious playing career that included two World Cups (1994 and 1998), an appearance in the Olympic Games in 1992 and seven seasons as a standout defender in Major League Soccer, highlighted by an MLS Cup title in 2002 as a member of the side he currently runs.
"I know there are certainly folks out there that when they heard I was going into the Hall will have various reactions, everything from complete bewilderment to a chuckle and that's part of what this is all about," Lalas said. "I had such a wonderful career and milked it for all it was worth on and off the field and had a blast doing it the entire time. To be recognized as part of this history means so much to me. It's an incredible honor."
With his flowing red hair and long goatee, as well as a rock star mentality and media-friendly personality, Lalas garnered international attention on and off the field as a member of the 1994 U.S. World Cup team that historically qualified for the knockout round of the tournament as the host nation. Lalas was one of MLS's first signings, joining the New England Revolution prior to the league's inaugural season in 1996. He would go on to play in 169 regular season MLS games and 14 playoff matches in stints with the MetroStars (now Red Bull New York), the Kansas City Wizards and the Galaxy.
It was with the Galaxy that Lalas found how most domestic success, capturing the 2002 league title and the 2001 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship as well. Five times Lalas was named an MLS All-Star (1996-1999, 2002) and he was a member of the MLS Best XI in 2002. Lalas also made 96 appearances with the U.S. national team between 1990 and 1998, scoring nine goals.
After concluding his playing career following the 2003 season, Lalas immediately took his experience to the boardroom, as he was hired by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) as general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes (now Houston Dynamo) in 2004 and 2005. He then moved to the top position in another AEG team, the MetroStars, which was then purchased by Austrian energy drink company Red Bull. Lalas briefly stayed with the club under its new ownership but was coaxed to the Galaxy's top position after that club's highest official, Doug Hamilton, tragically died of a heart attack prior to the start of the 2006 season.
Lalas enters the National Soccer Hall of Fame alongside his boss, as Anschutz joins as a Builder. This is only the fourth time the honor has been given to a Builder, as the recipient's contribution to soccer must be so significant as to have changed the course of the sport's history in this country.
Anschutz certainly has done just that, serving as one of the visionary pioneers of the USA's top professional league. He was a founding investor/operator in Major League Soccer and currently runs four of the league's teams: the Los Angeles Galaxy, D.C. United, the Chicago Fire and Houston Dynamo. Anschutz has played a key role in the continual growth of MLS through the league's first decade.
"It has been a tremendous privilege to be associated with soccer over these years," Anschutz said. "Now is a good time to be the commissioner (of Major League Soccer) because I do feel that the game of soccer in this country is on the upswing."
A major aspect of that continued growth has been the construction of soccer-specific stadiums for MLS teams to call home, and AEG set the bar high with the opening of The Home Depot Center in 2003. Both Los Angeles-based MLS teams -- the Galaxy and Chivas USA -- call The Home Depot Center home. The site is also the home base of U.S. Soccer and includes top-quality facilities for other sports as well.
The Chicago Fire opened Toyota Park earlier this season, while D.C. United are currently working toward the construction of a home of their own in the nation's capital. AEG also will play a key role, in conjunction with Red Bull, in the opening of a new stadium in Harrison, N.J., to house the Red Bulls.
As the owners of over a dozen sports franchises and multiple entertainment venues, AEG has brought experience, insight and investment to MLS in a time when many others doubted the sport's prospects for success.
Overbeck receives Hall of Fame honors after helping the U.S. women's national team establish itself as the best in the world, winning two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal. She was the captain of the U.S. side that defeated China in penalty kicks in the 1999 Women's World Cup Final in front of over 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The defender was also a member of the 1991 women's world championship side and the captain of the Olympic team that won the gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
"I've been waiting for this (red Hall of Fame) jacket because I'm freezing," joked Overbeck in her induction speech. "Thank you to U.S. Soccer for enabling our team to fulfill our dreams."
Additionally, Overbeck was a founding player in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), leading the Carolina Courage to a championship in 2002. She also earned four NCAA Division I championships as a college player for the University of North Carolina.
Trost becomes a Hall of Famer this year in recognition of his stellar play on the field in the NASL and with the U.S. national team in the 1970s. He played 14 times for the U.S. senior team and was also a member of its Olympic side at the 1972 Munich games. He spent seven years in the NASL, scoring 38 goals.
"Congratulations to Alexi and Carla. It's truly an honor to be inducted the same year as you -- great impact players in American soccer," said Trost, "and thank you to Phil Anschutz for his contribution to MLS soccer."
Lalas received 95 votes and Overbeck 85 votes on the 113 ballots cast by members of the soccer media, Hall of Famers, national team and MLS coaches, and soccer administrators from across the country. They were named on 84.07 percent and 75.22 percent of the ballots, respectively. U.S. national team star Thomas Dooley finished third in the voting, receiving 71 votes or 62.83 percent. For a third player to be elected to the Hall of Fame, that player must be named on a minimum of 80 percent of the ballots.
Anschutz is just the fourth recipient of the National Soccer Medal of Honor, joining former U.S. Soccer president and 1994 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee chairman Alan I. Rothenberg, MLS investor/operator Lamar Hunt and 1991 U.S. women's national team. Trost earned Hall of Fame honors by receiving 29 of a possible 57 votes for a Veteran. The 15 players on the final Veteran ballot were selected through a vote of the Veteran's Screening Committee, a 15-member Hall of Fame committee comprised of Hall of Famers who review the over 300 eligible veteran players to select the players who appear on the final ballot. Hall of Famers vote on Veteran candidates, who must garner at least 50 percent of the vote to guarantee induction.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
