Steve Ralston

by MJ
(Cape Cod)

Even before he joined the New England Revolution from the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2002, Steve Ralston was considered one of Major League Soccer's most reliable performers.

As the right mid to Carlos Valerrama's center mid, with both supplying exemplary service to striker Roy Lassiter, Ralston, who was named Rookie of the Year in the league's first season, helped build the Mutiny into one of MLS's best teams in its inaugural year of 1996.

During a six-year career with the Mutiny, Ralston tallied 35 goals and 57 assists, was twice named to the MLS best XI, won the team MVP award in 2001 and twice won the league’s Fair Play Award.

But on-field success never materialized into actual championships, and the league-owned Mutiny had off-field problems that proved too big to overcome. So in the 2001-2002 off season the team was contracted, along with the Miami Fusion, and Ralston was one of several key players who found their way onto the Revs' roster in the ensuing Allocation Draft.

Significantly, another who came to the team at the same time was Taylor Twellman, and soon the two St. Louis natives formed a lucrative partnership. With exquisite dribbling and crossing ability from the right, Ralston was able to provide the kind of service that the Revs' new goal-scorer needed to thrive.

Ralston registered 19 assists in his first year with the Revs, eleven of them being converted by Twellman. It was enough to take the Revs to their first MLS Cup after years of on-field futility had branded them one of the league’s worst teams. Although the Revs eventually lost that final 1-0 to the Galaxy at Gillette Stadium, Ralston would return for three more MLS Cups, plus a pair of US Open Cup finals, although only one of those six cup final appearances would actually end in victory.

In the 2007 MLS Cup, Ralston set the U.S. record for professional appearances with his 371st professional game. He also owns the league records for minutes played, career appearances, career starts, assists and game-winning assists.

Ralston’s national team career has never quite matched his club career, although he has collected 35 National team caps. Perhaps his most notable achievement was scoring the wining goal against Mexico that took the US to the 2006 World Cup. When it came time to name the squad for the event itself, though, Bruce Arena chose not to take Ralston.

Steve Ralston Stats