The Daily OrangeAloisi joins MLS with LA Galaxy
By Michael Potter
Posted: 4/8/04, 1:28 AM EST Section: Sports
Ask anyone tied into the Syracuse men's soccer team. Players, coaches, parents, and alumni will all agree that Richard Aloisi is the biggest critic of his son, Chris.
Good or bad game, win or loss, he'll find something, rest assured. This honesty helped Chris Aloisi become one of the great defenders in Syracuse history and a member of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy.
"My dad is my biggest fan but also my biggest critic," Aloisi said. "He'd rather tell me what I did wrong than what I did right."
Which, from what Richard says, wasn't much in Chris' five years in an Orangeman uniform.
Still, Aloisi is one of only two players - along with John McCallion - to ever captain the soccer team for three seasons. During Aloisi's time, the Orangemen did not have as much success as he would have hoped, though, making it difficult for professional scouts to notice him.
Phone calls by head coach Dean Foti made sure that Syracuse's season-ending loss against Pittsburgh would not be the last of Aloisi's career. Aloisi was given the opportunity to showcase his talents at the MLS combine in Los Angeles. That chance was undoubtedly the biggest key in earning the sixth draft pick of Galaxy coaches Sigi Schmid and Martin Vasquez.
The combine was a three-day event, consisting of player physicals, followed by one game each day. Aloisi settled in nicely at his familiar position of center back, and the rest took care of itself.
Aloisi's on-the-field skills - which helped him earn third-team All-Big East honors twice - caught the eye of Schmid and Vasquez.
"We went with the attitude of drafting good soccer players," Vasquez said. "We weren't looking for stereotypes. We just went with an open mind. The first thing we liked about Chris, he was very comfortable with the ball, he was a good defender and he had good pace."
But with only three spots open on the team for six drafted players, something else had to stand out for him. That's when his versatility took center stage. His ability to play several positions in the back and even move up to midfield brought flexibility to the Galaxy lineup.
Good or bad game, win or loss, he'll find something, rest assured. This honesty helped Chris Aloisi become one of the great defenders in Syracuse history and a member of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy.
"My dad is my biggest fan but also my biggest critic," Aloisi said. "He'd rather tell me what I did wrong than what I did right."
Which, from what Richard says, wasn't much in Chris' five years in an Orangeman uniform.
Still, Aloisi is one of only two players - along with John McCallion - to ever captain the soccer team for three seasons. During Aloisi's time, the Orangemen did not have as much success as he would have hoped, though, making it difficult for professional scouts to notice him.
Phone calls by head coach Dean Foti made sure that Syracuse's season-ending loss against Pittsburgh would not be the last of Aloisi's career. Aloisi was given the opportunity to showcase his talents at the MLS combine in Los Angeles. That chance was undoubtedly the biggest key in earning the sixth draft pick of Galaxy coaches Sigi Schmid and Martin Vasquez.
The combine was a three-day event, consisting of player physicals, followed by one game each day. Aloisi settled in nicely at his familiar position of center back, and the rest took care of itself.
Aloisi's on-the-field skills - which helped him earn third-team All-Big East honors twice - caught the eye of Schmid and Vasquez.
"We went with the attitude of drafting good soccer players," Vasquez said. "We weren't looking for stereotypes. We just went with an open mind. The first thing we liked about Chris, he was very comfortable with the ball, he was a good defender and he had good pace."
But with only three spots open on the team for six drafted players, something else had to stand out for him. That's when his versatility took center stage. His ability to play several positions in the back and even move up to midfield brought flexibility to the Galaxy lineup.
