Major League Soccer
Before the inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) draft in February 1996, the league allocated high-profile players throughout the league's ten teams (except for the Dallas Burn, which alone amongst all MLS sides never received a U.S. national team allocation from the 1994 World Cup era). As part of this process, MLS placed Lalas with the New England Revolution on October 7, 1995.
Lalas was a regular on the Revs backline during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, starting 25 matches in 1996 and 29 in 1997. Lalas made his Revolution debut in the club's first-ever match, against Tampa Bay Mutiny on April 13, 1996, and recorded the first assist in Revolution history (in conjunction with Wélton), setting up Robert Ukrop for the team's first-ever goal, in the 20th minute. Lalas made his home debut on April 27 against D.C. United. He scored his first Revolution goal in the team's 4–2 win over Tampa Bay on August 26.
Lalas was named an MLS All Star in both 1996 and 1997, but famously clashed with Revolution head coach Frank Stapleton during the 1996 season, which ultimately resulted in being benched in August following a 6-1 drubbing to the San Jose Clash. Tensions arose after Lalas' Revolution teammate (and friend from his time in Padova) Giuseppe Galderisi was traded after only four games. Lalas referred to his Revolution tenure under Stapleton as a "joke" and a "nightmare from the beginning." At his request, the Revolution tried to trade Lalas during the summer transfer window, but could not find an interested party.
In November 1997, the Revolution loaned Lalas to Ecuadorian First Division Club Emelec for a month. He returned to New England at the end of December only to find himself traded to the MetroStars on February 4, 1998, in what would become the first three-team trade in MLS history.
The deal saw New England acquire Raúl Díaz Arce from D.C. United in exchange for Lalas and a second-round pick in the 1999 MLS College Draft, which were traded to the MetroStars, with the MetroStars’ second-round pick in the 1999 MLS College Draft and future considerations going to
D.C. United along with New England's first-round pick in
the 1999 MLS College Draft. He spent the 1998 season with the MetroStars before being traded, along with Tony Meola, to the Kansas City Wizards for Mark Chung and Mike Ammann on January 28, 1999. Lalas spent one season with the Wizards before announcing his retirement on October 10, 1999. Lalas was named to the MLS All-Star team in both the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
Just over a year later, he returned to the pitch when he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy as a discovery player on January 16, 2001. Lalas' tenure with the Galaxy was some of the most decorated of his career. In 2001, Lalas helped the Galaxy win the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and also the 2001 U.S. Open Cup (the latter against his former club, New England). The next year, Lalas helped the Galaxy win the 2002 Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup 2002 (the latter against his former club, New England). He was named to the 2002 MLS Best XI.
Nearly three years later, he retired again, this time permanently on January 12, 2004.
