Normally, I wouldn’t dare be seen interacting with a defender, especially on camera, since defenders are generally bad. But the opportunity to talk to U.S. Men’s National Team legend Alexi Lalas was an exception that had to be made.
The Fox Sports broadcaster made headlines when he called the current crop of players for the team “a bunch of soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires" on national television after they lost to Costa Rica and put their World Cup future in jeopardy. He even called out Christian Pulisic, the current darling and savior of American soccer.
So I talked to Lalas about calling out the players, what the intentions of such a public rant was, if it was sincere or pure entertainment, his true feelings regarding the talent level of the team, if he really believes that the players are spoiled, or if he’s just being a hater. We talked about the difference between this group of players vs. his legendary 1994 World Cup team and what he thinks is the ceiling for this new generation.
OK. He said that they could win the World Cup. Honestly. It’s on video. We have evidence. Alexi Lalas said the United States national team could win the World Cup, even though it is struggling to qualify.
I also gave him an awkward “HUSTLE” tattoo because that’s the best attribute that most defenders have. They work hard, which is fine. Most fans aren’t coming out to see defenders point, shout and work really hard to stop the actual fun from happening.