San Francisco Columnist Torches Soccer Analyst Alexi Lalas for Attending RNC: ‘Fox News Prototype’

Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union

SFGATE columnist Drew Magary tore into Alexi Lalas after the Fox Sports soccer analyst posted photos of himself at the Republican National Convention.

Lalas, a former member of the U.S. men’s national team, has essentially become the voice of American soccer in his time as a pundit. He’s proven to be a polarizing figure in sports media, with some enjoying his brand of commentary and others detesting it.

For a portion of those in the latter camp, that dislike grew even stronger when Lalas revealed Tuesday he was at the RNC. In a pair of photos posted online, he posed on the stage of the convention and also in front of a “Trump 2024” sign outside the venue.

In his column , Magary drew parallels between his soccer commentary and political views.

“Lalas’ current aesthetic sets off ‘Trumpdars’ from thousands of miles away, and his public support for the likes of Ron DeSantis — Ron f—king DeSantis — proves those alarms correct,” Magary wrote. “Alexi Lalas is a Fox News prototype that has been cruelly exported to the soccer world: handsome and yet off-putting, authoritative and yet servile. The perfect stand-in for the hollow-faced ghouls who control the money flow.

“Lalas’ JD Vance -ness can be seen in his eyes, and the way he explains this sport to his audience in Red State-ese, lest they grab their AR-15s if they hear a single ‘nil’ come out of their television.”

Magary added that Lalas is hated by American fans, English fans, and even “lovers of basic civil rights.”

“The USMNT realized that it couldn’t succeed any longer with Gregg Berhalter as the face of its operation,” Magary said. I’d like to think that Fox will come to the same epiphany with Lalas, who has now done more to harm soccer here than help it.”