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.