1991 MAC Hermann Trophy Winner

College: Rutgers University

Position: Defender

Hometown: Birmingham, MI

Lalas attended Rutgers University where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1988 to 1991. During his four seasons at Rutgers, he led the Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Final Four in 1989 and the National Championship Game in 1990. Lalas was named a third team All-American in 1989 and 1990. In 1991, he gained first team All American recognition in addition to being awarded the MAC Hermann Trophy. Lalas left Rutgers before graduation in 1991 to focus on the US National team but finished his English degree with a Minor in Music in May 2014.

Lalas earned 96 caps for the US National Team between 1991 and 1998. He went on to start and play all ninety minutes in the four U.S. games of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and was named an honorable mention All-Star. He was named the 1995 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year. In 2006, Lalas was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

After his outstanding performance in the 1994 World Cup he became the first American-born and raised player to compete in the Italian Serie A when he debuted with Padova in 1994.  He spent two seasons anchoring the Padova backline before returning to the US to play for the New England Revolution in the inaugural season of Major League Soccer. Lalas would go on to play for the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, the Kansas City Wizards, and the Los Angeles Galaxy before retiring from professional soccer in 2004.

Following his playing career, Lalas served as general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, and Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He then began his career as a commentator and studio analyst for ESPN. He quickly gained fame as a popular, and sometimes controversial, media personality. In late 2014, after nearly seven years with ESPN, Lalas joined Fox Sports as part of their newly revamped soccer programming line-up.