Steve Ralston – A Modern American Pioneer

Steve Ralston has clocked up 32,658 minutes of MLS play in his life. That’s over 6000 more than any other active outfield player, Revs colleague Jay Heaps.

In that time, Steve has collected 75 goals, 133 assists, and been fouled 448 times. Despite being a target, he’s only been booked 20 times and sent off just once in 371 games. He made his MLS debut for Tampa Bay after being drafted in the second round of the 1996 MLS College Draft. In that inaugural season, he scored Tampa Bay’s only goal in their 2-1 loss to DC United in the Eastern Conference Championship.

In 2002, he joined New England Revs after being taken sixth overall in the MLS Allocation Draft. Prior to New England’s first ever match with Sounders FC, Prost Amerika spoke to Steve about his career, past, present and future, and how he feels about having been a pioneer for the global game in what used to be an outpost it hadn’t conquered.

PROST AMERIKA: How has the sport improved in the USA since you started?

STEVE RALSTON: It’s got better. Teams are deeper than they used to be. Every team had their big international player. For instance in Tampa, we had Pibe Valderrama, and those were great players. From top to bottom, and the top three guys, the teams are much deeper now than they were then.

PROST AMERIKA: Have you any friendships or connections with the current Sounders?

STEVE RALSTON: There’s a lot of guys I’d played with and against. A lot of guys in your front office, Chris Henderson and Kasey (Keller). I’ve played with Nate Jaqua an occasion or two with the national team. Tyrone Marshall, a bunch of guys. That’s the great thing about playing for a long time. I got to meet a lot of good people, and I get to see them once in a while.

PROST AMERIKA: You’ve played 42 games against New York. Does it give you the same satisfaction kicking New York behind as it does to Boston franchises in other sports?

STEVE RALSTON:(laughs) Absolutely. There’s no better team to beat than New York. No really, I think we have a good rivalry with New York. I think it carries over from the other sports. We respect them, they respect us. We’ve had quite a good rivalry over the last couple of years.

PROST AMERIKA: You’ve played more minutes than any other active player. How does it feel to be a pioneer in a fledgling sport that’s gone on to such great success?

STEVE RALSTON: I’m proud to be a pioneer and to say that I have been here since the beginning of the league, and hopefully for many more years to come. I think the league is growing. It’s getting better. It’s getting stronger. You can see the changes that have been made over the last fourteen years. You can see the progress we’re making and I’m proud to be part of that.

PROST AMERIKA: You’re playing a new side here, do you hope to be back here to play two more new Pacific Northwest sides (Portland and Vancouver in 2011)?

STEVE RALSTON: I do. I hope to be able to come back and play in Portland and Vancouver. I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I think at this point in my career, at the end of the year, you tend to reassess, reassess what’s going on and how your body is. But if it’s up to me, I’d love to keep playing.

PROST AMERIKA: Are you going for 40,000 minutes?

STEVE RALSTON: I don’t know what I’m at right now. I don’t know how far that is. I’m just looking at for 90 more tomorrow.

PROST AMERIKA: It’ll be 80 more games!

STEVE RALSTON: Ha ha.

PROST AMERIKA: You’ve played more minutes than any other active player, 32,658. What’s you favourite of those 32,658 minutes?

STEVE RALSTON: My first goal ever, my first goal as a professional player, in Colorado. It ended up being a game winning goal late in the game. You never forget your first goal.

PROST AMERIKA: Have you thought about management afterwards?

STEVE RALSTON: I hope so, It would be hard just to walk away and not be part of soccer in some aspect. I’d love to be able to coach at some level.

Further Reporting:

Why Tonight’s Game is So Important to Both Sides Seasons

Sainey Ready to Give Brother a Nyass-Kicking!

Sounders v New England (Match Preview)

Sleepless in Bwiam as Gambian Village Looks Forward to Game

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