Roy Lassiter

Roy Lassiter (born March 9, 1969 in Washington, D.C.) is a retired American soccer striker. He shares the record for most goals scored (27) in a single-season in Major League Soccer with Chris Wondolowski.

Early life

Lassiter was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina 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.^[1]

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."^[2] 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.

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 and continued to be the MLS Goal scoring leader until 2004. 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.^[3]

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 Wynalda 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.^[4]

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	October 8, 1995	Washington, D.C.	Saudi Arabia	4–3	4–3	Friendly match
2	December 14, 1996	Palo Alto, California	Costa Rica	2–0	2–1	1998 World Cup qualifying
3	March 23, 1997	San Jose, Costa Rica	Costa Rica	2–2	2–3	1998 World Cup qualifying
4	June 29, 1997	San Salvador, El Salvador	El Salvador	1–0	1–1	1998 World Cup qualifying

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, he was inducted into the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame.

Honours

Club honours

• L.D. Alajuelense

• Costa Rican Championship (1):
  • Winner: 1995–96

• D.C. United

• MLS Cup (1):
  • Runners-up: 1998
  • Winner: 1999

• MLS Supporters' Shield (2): 1996, 1999

• CONCACAF Champions League (1): 1998

• Copa Interamericana (1): 1998

Individual

• MLS Golden Boot:
  • Winner: 1996

• CONCACAF Champions League MVP:
  • Winner: 1998:

Notes

External links

• Photo of Lassiter at D.C. United