Alexi Lalas Is Critical of American Soccer (And That's a Good Thing)

Did the U.S.'s impressive run in the Confederations Cup mean anything? How will the Gooch fare with AC Milan? What's up with Beckham and the Galaxy? And does he miss being scruffy? Taking a break from participating in the Kicking and Screening film festival, U.S. soccer great Alexi Lalas talked to us about these questions and plenty more. Check out the full interview below.

FANHOUSE: You were the first American to play in Serie A, so what are your thoughts on Oguchi Onyewu signing with AC Milan this week?

LALAS: I couldn't be happier for him. I'm disappointed it took this long (for another player), but I'm happy. He's a great player and a great player to have in this particular situation. He's going to a great club and should learn so much on and off the field and be able to take that to the national team program.

My only concern is that he plays. That's up to him. It's an opportunity too good to pass up, so I'm very bullish about him playing in AC Milan.

FANHOUSE: Any advice you'd pass along to him about playing in Italy?

LALAS: I wouldn't give any advice except to learn the language and to enjoy the time and to recognize the opportunity he's been given.

FANHOUSE: On the same note, any thoughts on U.S. forward Charlie Davies moving from Sweden to France this week?

LALAS: It's a step up. His performance with the national team has turned some people onto his ability and his viability up top. Whether he's the ultimate solution remains to be seen. From what we've seen so far, it's a positive future for him. As a national team fan it's a good thing because you can never have too much ability up top.

FANHOUSE: We've seen Davies and Onyewu make moves to bigger clubs. What do unsettled players, particularly youngsters Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore (who is rumored to be close to a loan with Greek champion Olympiakos from Spain's Villareal) need to do ahead of the 2010 World Cup?

LALAS: Play, play, play, that's the big thing. If you're not playing, you're of no use, to be honest. Training and sitting on the bench, we're too far along to have that be the criteria to be called into the national team. There are other players that are playing in other leagues that have that sharpness when they are called in.

FANHOUSE: Changing gears a bit, were you surprised how some members of the U.S. team got very defensive in light of criticism after the first two matches at the Confederations Cup last month?

LALAS: Look, we come from a (soccer) culture where nobody cared either way. So it's a reflection to where we've gotten to a point where it's okay to critique as long as you do it fairly. If it ruffled some feathers, that's okay. The type of pressure the U.S. players play under is nothing compared to that around the world. The spotlight our players are under pales in comparison to an Italy or a Brazil. That should be taken into consideration. It's a healthy and positive note when you're able, not just me, but the public, where we're not satisfied with a mediocre national team.

FANHOUSE: What was more indicative of the U.S national team as a whole, the one that lost to Italy and Brazil in the group stages or the one that beat Spain and gave Brazil a run for its money in the final?

LALAS: The jury is still out. At least when you have that type of performance, you know there is a positive side. It remains to be seen if that positive side can consistently rear its head. I was excited to see the individuals and this team rise to the task and provide a much healthier and more positive performance and one that stirred the public giving them a reason to believe going into next summer.

FANHOUSE: What is the biggest thing for the team between now and 2010, assuming it qualifies for the next World Cup?

LALAS: Find what went well and what didn't and work on that. Create some depth and use those lessons from Confederations Cup and use them to better prepare and adapt to situations that arise in a World Cup.

FANHOUSE: Does the current CONCACAF Gold Cup offer anything for the U.S.?

LALAS: If one or two players come to light, yeah. With all due respect, the Gold Cup is kind of a throwaway, especially after the emotions of Confederations Cup, it pales in comparison.

FANHOUSE: How about a guy like Stuart Holden stepping up?

LALAS: Yeah, Stuart Holden's been good ... I've always liked a Jimmy Conrad. Davy Arnaud has stepped up. These are guys in mix. We'll see how it all shakes out. No matter what, it's still a good chance to give players international experience.

FANHOUSE: Any thoughts on the current turmoil surrounding Mexico?

LALAS: What can you say about Mexico? They're in kind of a free fall right now. From an American perspective I'll say I don't care. From CONCACAF perspective, I want them to do well. It's a better statement for CONCACAF when Mexico is at the World Cup.

Ultimately they'll figure it out, they always do, but this is as weak a (Mexican) team and Federation as we've seen in a long time.

FANHOUSE: Would you agree that the Aug. 12 World Cup qualifier in Mexico City is the most important game remaining for the U.S. before the World Cup and that this might be the U.S.'s best chance to finally get a win at Azteca Stadium?

LALAS: It's always great to play Azteca. Regardless who is out there, they'll have their hands full. Sometimes it's difficult to face someone who's cornered and caged. When backs are against the wall, performances come out.

If (the U.S.) does it, hats off, it would be wonderful. It's a good challenge.

This is a great test of this newfound confidence this team has after Confederations Cup ... to go into an incredibly adverse environment against a tough team. This is first time to apply lessons from Confederations Cup in meaningful environment.

FANHOUSE: It's in the news, so I have to ask about it. Thoughts on Grant Wahl's 'The Beckham Experiment'? (Lalas was Galaxy general manager when they signed Beckham in 2007.)

LALAS: Not really. Let's let thing this play out. I know there's been a lot of discussion about the book, I'm so far removed from it that I don't have any connection. I will say I'm happy that the Galaxy is doing well and have enabled Bruce Arena to field a consistent and competitive team so far.

FANHOUSE: On a different MLS topic, what are your thoughts about the success of the Seattle Sounders FC, both on and off the field as an expansion team?

LALAS: They caught lightning in a bottle, but they did a lot of things behind the scenes to capitalize on that lightning. First, they hired a great coach in Sigi Schmid. Second, they identified their market and didn't dumb it down and made it an authentic football club. It came very organically. And they have a competitive team (Seattle is in second place in the Western Conference), something people enjoy not just because of the novelty of it, but because it's a good team with players and personalities they can latch onto.

(Seattle) is a wonderful model for other teams coming in. For a long time MLS brands were so much geared toward marketing it toward families that they almost became a Barney show. It's not something we need to be doing. Ultimately this is professional soccer and there an established and expected experience level that fueled by the international aspect of the game. A team like Seattle recognized early on they needed to capture that.

FANHOUSE: In the past you'd gone on Fox Soccer Channel's 'Fox Football Fone-In'. Do you think there needs to be more places for fans to discuss the game outside of the realm of message boards and blogs?

LALAS: That will come with time. There's incredible interest in soccer, some that's being tapped into. There's this underground type of movement and to be able to harness that would be something. There are a lot people incredibly passionate that want to discuss the game and are proud that we've literally built something from scratch.

FANHOUSE: Is there any "under the radar" story going on in MLS right now?

LALAS: The fact in these economic times we continue to expand and get people interested as soccer as investors. Soccer is something that appeals to a lot of people because of its international aspect. I love the fact I play and support a game that's played around the world. It's unique in an American sports context. The future is very bright but we still struggle for relevancy in a sports landscape with a history with all these other sports. It will take time but it's a labor of love.

FANHOUSE: Did it surprise you how the U.S. performance at the Confederations Cup caught more attention than usual and seemed to have people discussing the sport in a more mainstream fashion?

LALAS: People like stories first and foremost ... they like winners and they certainly like underdogs. When the Confederations Cup came, the United States team, it had all of that. It was an up-and-down situation for the first few games and then to go on to beat the then-No. 1 team in the world Spain was ready made for water cooler talk.

A lot of people might have looked at it in the same way they tune in for an Olympic year, they found something they could grab onto. Hopefully they'll stick around and latch onto it next summer when the stage is much bigger.

FANHOUSE: What comes to mind when you look back at how you looked in the mid 90's, when you were filming ESPN 'Sportscenter' commercials?

LALAS: Those were fun. They all came off the World Cup success and the launch of MLS. It's unfortunate they haven't done anything since then. We have some personalities and the ability to do something.

The mid-90s ... Oh my goodness. People show me pictures or videos or whatever of what happened in the past. I get a kick out of it all the time. Most of the time it's fun to be reminded of it.

FANHOUSE: Finally, tell us a little bit about the Kicking and Screening festival.

LALAS: It's a unique and interesting venue that my brother turned me onto. Cinema is obviously a reflection of culture and soccer is a reflection of that culture around the world. It's a unique opportunity for the two to meet.