Roy Lassiter
Encyclopedia
Roy Lassiter is a retired American soccer striker
, and Major League Soccer
's record holder for goals scored in a season
, with 27 in 1996.
where he attended Athens Drive High School
. He was the North Carolina State 4-A Player of the Year as a senior and a high school All-American. That year, he led his high school soccer team to the state championship while scoring a state record 47 goals. He also played for a local youth club, Raleigh United, which lost to the LaJolla Nomads in the 1989 McGuire National Club Championship Cup. Lassiter attended Lees-McRae College
in 1989. He then transferred to North Carolina State University
where he was a 1991 First Team All-ACC and All South.
In the season 1995-1996, Lassiter was named Foreign Player of the Year, his last season with LD Alajuelense
.
Additionally, Major League Soccer
(MLS) signed Lassiter in 1996. As part of the process of creating a new league, MLS allocated known players throughout the league's teams in order to create an initial equitable distribution of talent. MLS allocated
Lassiter to the Tampa Bay Mutiny
. Immediately clicking with midfield general Carlos Valderrama, Lassiter rode the Colombian's passes to the top of the league's scoring charts
with 27 goals in 1996, a record that still stands. He added four assists for 58 points to become the league's first scoring leader. The Mutiny loaned Lassiter to Serie B
team Genoa C.F.C.
of Italy for $1.4 million USD for six months in October 1996 after his stellar first season in MLS.
Lassiter was traded to DC United
in 1998 for Roy Wegerle
. He played two seasons in DC, winning the MLS Cup
in 1999. Lassiter was traded to the Miami Fusion
in 2000 due to salary cap, to the Kansas City Wizards
in 2001, and back to DC in the middle of the 2002 season. He ended his MLS career with 88 regular season goals, a record surpassed in 2004 by Jason Kreis
. Lassiter added 13 goals in MLS playoffs and is 3rd in that category behind Carlos Ruiz and Landon Donovan
. He ended his professional career with A-League
's Virginia Beach Mariners
in 2003 as player/assistant coach, but played a few games with Laredo Heat
of the USL Premier Development League
and the exhibition Austin Posse in 2004 to help promote their clubs.
in a 1-0 loss to the Commonwealth of Independent States
which briefly succeeded the Soviet Union
. However, he broke his leg in a practice collision with Bruce Murray a few days later. That year he also earned his second cap with the national team when he came in as a sub for Frank Klopas
in an August 16 loss to Sweden. Two months later, he played a third time for the national team, again as a substitute, this time for Roy Wegerle
. Lassiter scored the game winning goal in a 4-3 victory over Saudi Arabia. Lassiter's career continued to rise, he earned his first start for the national team in December 1996 and became a regular for much of 1997. While Lassiter had played consistently for the U.S. in 1997 his appearances tapered off in 1998 and he was selected as an alternate for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
roster. He played only one game in 2000, his last with the national team. He finished his international career with 30 caps and 4 goals.
D.C. United
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, and Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
's record holder for goals scored in a season
MLS Golden Boot
The MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
, with 27 in 1996.
Early life
Lassiter was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
where he attended Athens Drive High School
Athens Drive High School
Athens Drive High School is a co-educational secondary Wake County public high school in southwestern Raleigh that serves grades 9-12. As of 2006-2007 the school has approximately 1,900 enrolled students and approximately 130 hired educators. It is also part of the .-History:Athens Drive was opened...
. He was the North Carolina State 4-A Player of the Year as a senior and a high school All-American. That year, he led his high school soccer team to the state championship while scoring a state record 47 goals. He also played for a local youth club, Raleigh United, which lost to the LaJolla Nomads in the 1989 McGuire National Club Championship Cup. Lassiter attended Lees-McRae College
Lees-McRae College
Lees-McRae College is a private four-year college in Banner Elk, North Carolina affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Lees-McRae College has the highest elevation of any college or university in the United States east of the Mississippi River at above sea level. It is one of the few colleges...
in 1989. He then transferred to North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
where he was a 1991 First Team All-ACC and All South.
Career
While convalesing, Lassiter was contacted by AD Turrialba in 1992. As Lassiter recalls it, "I have no idea how they got my name. They paid for my trip down there while still recovering from my leg injury, and I signed a contract." He played the 1993-1994 season with Carmelita and after in 1994 the club LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica signed him to one of the most lucritive contracts of any foreigner player in Costa Rica of 1990-2000. After the 1994-1995 season, Lassiter received offers from several Mexican and European clubs, but Alajuelsense offered Lassiter a $60,000 bonus to remain with the club through the 1995 season.In the season 1995-1996, Lassiter was named Foreign Player of the Year, his last season with LD Alajuelense
LD Alajuelense
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense , is a Costa Rican football club, currently playing in the Primera División de Costa Rica. It was founded on June 18, 1919. The team is located in Alajuela's downtown and they play their local games at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.Alajuelense was the first Costa...
.
Additionally, Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS) signed Lassiter in 1996. As part of the process of creating a new league, MLS allocated known players throughout the league's teams in order to create an initial equitable distribution of talent. MLS allocated
1996 MLS Inaugural Allocations
The Major League Soccer Inaugural Allocations were signed by the league in 1996 and distributed to the ten initial teams prior to the beginning of the first MLS season...
Lassiter to the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in...
. Immediately clicking with midfield general Carlos Valderrama, Lassiter rode the Colombian's passes to the top of the league's scoring charts
MLS Golden Boot
The MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
with 27 goals in 1996, a record that still stands. He added four assists for 58 points to become the league's first scoring leader. The Mutiny loaned Lassiter to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
team Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
of Italy for $1.4 million USD for six months in October 1996 after his stellar first season in MLS.
Lassiter was traded to DC United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in 1998 for Roy Wegerle
Roy Wegerle
Roy Wegerle is a South African-American former soccer player, who played for the United States in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He is one of two players who played in both the NASL and MLS; the other is Hugo Sánchez....
. He played two seasons in DC, winning the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
in 1999. Lassiter was traded to the Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
in 2000 due to salary cap, to the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
in 2001, and back to DC in the middle of the 2002 season. He ended his MLS career with 88 regular season goals, a record surpassed in 2004 by Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Clarence Kreis is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer....
. Lassiter added 13 goals in MLS playoffs and is 3rd in that category behind Carlos Ruiz and Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
. He ended his professional career with A-League
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
's Virginia Beach Mariners
Virginia Beach Mariners
The Virginia Beach Mariners were an American soccer club, who formerly played in the USL First Division of the United Soccer Leagues, the second division in the US Soccer hierarchy behind Major League Soccer...
in 2003 as player/assistant coach, but played a few games with Laredo Heat
Laredo Heat
Laredo Heat is an American soccer team based in Laredo, Texas, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference....
of the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
and the exhibition Austin Posse in 2004 to help promote their clubs.
International career
Lassiter was called up to the U.S. national team in January 1992. He earned his first cap as a substitute for Eric WynaldaEric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal...
in a 1-0 loss to the Commonwealth of Independent States
CIS national football team
The CIS national football team represented the Commonwealth of Independent States, a regional confederation formed by 12 of the 15 newly formed sovereign states that emerged out of the break-up of the Soviet Union between 1990 and early 1992...
which briefly succeeded the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. However, he broke his leg in a practice collision with Bruce Murray a few days later. That year he also earned his second cap with the national team when he came in as a sub for Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
in an August 16 loss to Sweden. Two months later, he played a third time for the national team, again as a substitute, this time for Roy Wegerle
Roy Wegerle
Roy Wegerle is a South African-American former soccer player, who played for the United States in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He is one of two players who played in both the NASL and MLS; the other is Hugo Sánchez....
. Lassiter scored the game winning goal in a 4-3 victory over Saudi Arabia. Lassiter's career continued to rise, he earned his first start for the national team in December 1996 and became a regular for much of 1997. While Lassiter had played consistently for the U.S. in 1997 his appearances tapered off in 1998 and he was selected as an alternate for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
roster. He played only one game in 2000, his last with the national team. He finished his international career with 30 caps and 4 goals.
Coaching career
Lassiter was the Director of Coaching at the Austin United Capital soccer club based in Austin, Texas from 2005 until 2008. He was also the Director of Coaching for the Dripping Springs Soccer Club in 2003-2005. He holds a USSF "A" and Youth National Coaching License and has been a Director of Coaching in the Austin area for 5 years. He is also on the South Texas Region III Staff for ODP (Olympic Development Program). In 2009 he became the Advancement Director for the Albion Soccer Club. In 2011 inducted into the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame.Club honours
L.D. Alajuelense- Costa Rican ChampionshipPrimera División de Costa RicaPrimera División de Costa Rica is a professional league for association football clubs in Costa Rica. At the top of the Costa Rican league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 12 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Segunda División...
(1):- Winner: 1995–96Primera División de Costa RicaPrimera División de Costa Rica is a professional league for association football clubs in Costa Rica. At the top of the Costa Rican league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 12 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Segunda División...
- Winner: 1995–96
D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
(1):- Runners-up: 1998MLS Cup 1998The 1998 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 1998 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 25, 1998, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. The Chicago Fire beat D.C. United 2-0, bringing to an end United's reign as two-time defending MLS champions. The Fire great Peter Nowak was...
- Winner: 1999MLS Cup 1999The 1999 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 1:30pm EST on 21 November 1999 at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to determine the champion of the 1999 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 0 with goals from Ben Olsen and Jaime Moreno during...
- Runners-up: 1998
- MLS Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' ShieldThe Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
(2): 1996, 1999
- CONCACAF Champions LeagueCONCACAF Champions LeagueThe CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
(1): 1998
- Copa InteramericanaCopa InteramericanaCopa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
(1): 1998
Individual
- MLS Golden BootMLS Golden BootThe MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
:- Winner: 1996
- CONCACAF Champions League MVPCONCACAF Champions LeagueThe CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
:
