The USMNT’s brutal 4-1 World Cup exit kicked off a massive media war over the broken soccer system. Now, analyst Alexis Lalas is taking the brunt of the heat. Known as one of the loudest voices in American soccer, Lala’s corporate establishment friendly hot takes are not sitting well with everyone. However, even then Lalas has stood his ground and reiterated his stance.

Kevin Frazier, the renowned TV host, appeared on The Dan Patrick Show and dismissed Alexi Lalas’ opinions.

“You benefited from it as a kid from the suburbs. But back when the US su***** in Italy, you were part of the problem. You are part of the problem. Stop talking about US soccer like you know it. You don’t,” Frazier blamed Lalas for not contesting the expensive US soccer.  Unwilling to let Frazier’s criticism stand, Lalas replied on X.

“Hey Kev, I’m good, but thanks for your concern. I’ve consistently said I’d love soccer to be free. But who should pay for free soccer? Also, do you think those who work in youth soccer are greedy and should make less money? If so, why? Hope you’re well and I respect your passion.”

Following yet another failure for the USMNT at the Soccer World Cup, questions were raised about the country’s talent pipeline and why it is not able to compete on the global stage despite having elite athletes in every sport, like the NFL, NBA, and NHL.

The “pay-to-play” model of US youth soccer was heavily criticized. Families had to pay academy fees and also bear steep travel expenses, and college soccer without athletic scholarships could end up costing athletes a fortune.

Hence, when the tune of “Free Soccer” started after the World Cup to nurture more talent, Lalas, too, agreed but raised the question of who paid for free soccer.

Countering Lalas’s argument, Seton O’Connor, producer of the Dan Patrick Show, proposed that the US soccer academies borrowed an idea or two from Europe.

“Now let’s think about American companies. Apple, Google, Amazon, Nike, Tesla, SpaceX: their resources dwarf Damm’s (one of Spain’s popular youth academies),” Seton O’Connor said. “So if public policy can be used to support already-successful companies in keeping on growing, why couldn’t some of that success be reinvested into developing the next generation of American soccer players? Just a portion, just a small piece of it.”

He even believed Lalas, whom he calls “a proud American and a proud capitalist who also loves soccer,” is the correct person to start talking to the conglomerates and start a new movement in the US soccer history.