Alexi Lalas is a former U.S. National Team defender (96 caps), appearing in two World Cups and was
U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year in 1995. Lalas was the first American to play in Italy in the
modern-era and then returned to the United States to be a part of the group of high profile
American soccer players to launch Major League Soccer.
BY ADAM SERRANO
CARSON, CALIF -- Eugene Starikov's journey has been a winding road that is not typical among
American soccer players. A search for soccer success that has taken him from the heat of Central
Florida to the chill of Siberia and finally to the sunny fields of Carson, California.
I called in sick to work this morning. I usually only get sick once a year so here it was. After
finally managing to get out of bed I plopped down in front of the computer and pulled up the ol'
Twitter box to see what was going on in what appeared to be a painfully slow soccer day.
Midway through the morning, though, the Twitter box started rocking.
