the first time the event had been held on U.S. soil -- the '94 World Cup still holds the record as the most attended World Cup in history. The host nation exceeded expectations, advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament before losing to eventual champions Brazil; in front of the 3.6 million people who crowded the World Cup venues and hundreds of millions more watching on TV worldwide, the U.S. squad players achieved fame never before experienced by U.S.-born soccer players.
Lalas, with his hair, goatee and the fact that he moonlighted as a rock'n'roller, was at the forefront.
"For me, [the '94 World Cup] changed my life literally overnight," Lalas said. "I lived the power of what a World Cup can do for an individual. My life was never the same again."
His success in the World Cup led to a stint with Padova of the Italian Serie A. When he stepped on the field for Padova on July 27, 1994, Lalas became the first U.S.-born player to play in Italy's top flight. To this day, no other U.S. native has repeated the feat.
Lalas' mission in Italy was simple.
"You know, there was a real recognition that I didn't want to screw up," he said. "I knew I wasn't the best player in the world, but I certainly didn't want to scorch the earth or leave a bad impression on or off the field, of American players.
"I like to think that in the time that I was there, people had a respect for American soccer players and they learned to see a different type of soccer player."
After two years in Italy, Lalas returned home, joining a long list of fellow national team players -- fellow Hall-of-Famers Eric Wynalda, John Harkes, Tab Ramos, Marcelo Balboa and Paul Caligiuri among them -- to help found Major League Soccer. The fledgling league, born out of the agreement that brought the World Cup to the USA, used Lalas and his cohorts as its drawing cards.
For his first four MLS seasons, Lalas played on teams that were middling at best. His first two clubs, the New England Revolution (1996-97) and the MetroStars (1998) finished with 15 wins and 17 losses in each of his first three years. Lalas' 1999 Kansas City Wizards won just eight matches while losing 24.
The year that followed was a sabbatical for Lalas. He announced his retirement and moved to the broadcast booth, working the Sydney Olympics for NBC; but he returned to the field, this time for the Los Angeles Galaxy, in 2001.
It was with the Galaxy that Lalas won his long sought-after trophies, a U.S. Open Cup in 2001 and MLS Cup in 2002. After the 2003 season, Lalas retired again, this time for good.
"Winning a championship finally in Los Angeles after having bummed around with a bunch of different teams, it was awesome in that city," Lalas said. "That was a proud moment, but no more or less proud than flying back on the plane from Italy to Boston to be part of the beginning of Major League Soccer. That was one of the proudest moments of my life.
"I've got to think that the impact that you make, as a whole, on the game has to count for something. I'm very proud to be part of a generation that I think made a real impact in terms of the development of soccer."
Lalas' generation was one that had no forebears. The NASL achieved short-lived success when the Birmingham, Mich., native was a child, but it collapsed in the early '80s. Lalas and his contemporaries were forced to make their own way.
"I didn't grow up watching soccer, emulating players. That's disappointing," he said. "There was no roadmap. We were making it up as we went along, but I think a characteristic that a lot of my generation had and took to heart was the willingness to promote and to be the ambassadors and pioneers, and all of the work that goes on off the field.
"We recognized the value of that, individually and collectively. I don't think we ever lost that trait, and I certainly think it's helped elevate the sport."
These days, Lalas is working to expand soccer's profile from a management position. He was named the Galaxy's president and general manager on April 17, replacing the late Doug Hamilton. Lalas had served in the same capacity with Red Bull New York (formerly the MetroStars) since last June, and prior to that, he held the same position with the San Jose Earthquakes.
Lalas admits he's still got a lot to learn about how to run a soccer club. But he's confident that if he relies on the instincts that have provided him success in the past and surrounds himself with good people, he can have just as much of an impact on the game as he did in his playing days.
"We can all be as humble as we want, but there's a reason why most of us -- and certainly the players that have had the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame -- had success," Lalas said. "We all have an ego, and we all have big egos, but they're all healthy egos, and those egos drive us to be the best and drive us to compete. Whether it's playing a World Cup match or guiding a team as a GM, I want to be the best."
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
