Alexi Lalas has claimed that Christian Pulisic involving his father in a row between USMNT stars past and present isn’t very rock-and-roll.
And the 96-cap US defender should know all about that, having opened for Hootie & The Blowfish during a European tour in 1998.
Now an analyst, Lalas has banded together with former USMNT stars to escalate a growing feud with Mauricio Pochettino’s current team.
Pulisic has been at the centre of controversy this year, first insisting there was an agenda against American players in European soccer.
The former Chelsea star then made the controversial decision to avoid playing at the 2025 Gold Cup to prioritize his rest and recovery.
Pulisic has remained steadfast in his choice despite the criticism from ex-USMNT stars, with his father, Mark, also coming to his aid in the latest episodes of the PULISIC docuseries.
“Don’t bring your dad to a fight,” Lalas wrote in a column for FOX Sports last week. “I get that Mark Pulisic, like other dads out there, has been involved directly in bringing up, in this case, Christian.
“I get that he’s a former coach. But who brings their dad to a fight? If you’re angry at me or Landon [Donovan] or anybody else who is being critical of you, that’s fine.
“You have a platform, you have a microphone – some would say bigger than anybody else out there – to get that off your chest, but you don’t need to bring your dad.
“Never once has it even occurred to have my father defend me from the slings and arrows that are inevitable, but well done.
“You got me to watch, and you got exactly what you wanted.”
Lalas also staunchly hit back at accusations from Pulisic and Tim Weah that USMNT legends look to make headlines for attention.
“First and foremost, if you’re going to accuse people of doing things for clicks and for attention or to watch a show, well played,” Lalas added.
“That’s exactly what you just did, and it’s exactly what happened… We are evil? That’s a whole other level. I don’t feel evil.
“I don’t think that I am, and I don’t think that any of the other guys that you may have been referring to are evil in our criticism. But if they were, I sure as hell wouldn’t respect them.”
Lalas’ latest comments came after he had urged Pulisic and Co. to maintain their focus on the pitch over public feuds.
“For a team that has produced so much angst and, you know, relative worry and concern and – even at times anger and disappointment – for what they have done, the decisions that they’ve made, what has happened on and off the field?” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast.
“You should be doing anything and everything to look good, to get into the good graces of an American public that is dying to love you, is dying to like you, and is dying to support you.”
Alexi Lalas at the 1994 World Cup
Lalas has experience in that area, having been thrust into the spotlight for the 1994 World Cup on US soil.
The 55-year-old had never played a professional game in his life before he was playing in front of crowds of 73-94,000 for USMNT.
The former Arsenal trialist played every minute of his country’s home campaign until their round-of-16 exit following a 1-0 defeat to Brazil.
He went on to sign with Italian club Padova after the World Cup, before becoming one of the first stars in the newly set-up MLS.
Lalas opened for Hootie & the Blowfish
After being named in the 1998 MLS All-Star team, Lalas’s band, ‘The Gypsies’, opened for Hootie & the Blowfish on their European tour.
“The Gypsies was a band I was in during college, when I eventually started really recording and touring, I simply went under my own name with the band, it was just easier,” he told Beats & Rhymes FC in 2012.
“We had a blast on the Hootie tour, the guys treated us great, and it was a challenge each night to go out and win over a crowd that wasn’t really there to see you.
“Music was never a hobby for me – I took it as seriously as my soccer. While my success in soccer gave me opportunities in music, I knew that I would have to prove that it wasn’t a vanity endeavour or whim.
“The reality is that the public is rightfully sceptical about athletes doing music, but I never let that stop me.
“I’ve released four albums through the years, you can find much of my stuff under ‘Alexi Lalas’ online.
“Nowadays I have a studio at my home and write for myself and others.
“Unlike soccer, music is something I can do for the rest of my life…and I intend to.”