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How soccer helped shape Alexi Lalas’ provocative political views

Related Topics: Alexi Lalas, Bill Walton

Staff WriterFollow

Nov. 5, 2024 4 AM PT

Anyone who remembers Alexi Lalas from his playing days remembers the unruly shoulder-length red hair, thin headband and bushy goatee. They remember him traveling across Europe carrying little more than a backpack and guitar.

He was soccer’s version of Bill Walton, minus the tie-dyed T-shirts and penchant for listening to the Grateful Dead. Or at least it seemed that way.

Looks, however, can be deceiving.

“The aesthetic certainly was very hippie counter-culture,” said Lalas, who it turned out was neither.