Persian League, Iran
Jan 25 2005

American Eskandarian makes papa proud
Tue 01-25-2005

FIFAworldcup.com – With only one cap to his name, steadily improving
striker Elecko Eskandarian is primed for a big future with the U.S.
national team. The 23 year-old D.C. United man may not be the biggest
or the fastest, but his understanding, eye for goal and undeniable
pedigree have him in frame for a fine run on the international stage.

After three years at the University of Virginia – a side brought to
prominence by current national team boss Bruce Arena – Eskandarian
went into Major League Soccer as the U.S.’ top collegiate player in
2003.
After coming into the league highly touted, he scored only three
goals for D.C. United in an unremarkable start to his professional
career. The squat forward looked sadly out of his depth. But willing
to pay his dues, the remarkably down-to-earth Alecko learned his
lessons well and 2004 proved another story altogether as he brought
the capital club back to greatness with a championship run.
In the run-up to the 2004 campaign, 14-year-old wunderkind and league
record-signing Freddy Adu was grabbing all the headlines. But it was
his teammate, Eskandarian, who got the job done for United once the
ball got rolling. The player capped off his fine run of form with two
goals in the MLS championship match against Kansas City.
D.C. United coach, former Poland captain and one of the finest-ever
MLS players, Peter Nowak, was amazed with the vast improvements on
display in Alecko’s sophomore season.
`Now when I ask him `how many goals will you score today?’ he has
more confidence and asks `how many do you want?” the coach
commented. Twice Eskandarian was named player of the week and became
the first D.C. United player to score more than ten goals in a season
since 2001. He finished the year as the team’s top scorer, helping
them to earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
`It’s pretty sweet to go to everybody that was doubting me and just
show them the trophy (MLS Cup) and just be like, `Shut up. I did
it,” Eskandarian said of his triumphant 2004.
Family ties, football ties
The Eskandarian saga is a compelling and peculiarly `American’ tale,
screaming of long, arduous journeys and the intermingling of
cultures.

Originally of Armenian origins, the Eskandarian clan was forced to
flee Europe for Iran to escape the horror of early 20th century
genocide. Alecko’s father Andarik went on to make his name playing
football in the mid-east. The hard-nosed, no nonsense defender lined
up for Iran at the 1978 FIFA World Cup Argentina, and his
performances were so impressive he was named to a Cup all-star team.
And after playing an exhibition match at the Meadowlands in New
Jersey, USA, his ample talents were noticed by the then managers of
the New York Cosmos. Almost at once, the player relocated to the East
Coast of the U.S. where he lined up alongside such icons as Pele and
Franz Beckenbauer for the legendary Cosmos of the North American
Soccer League (NASL) – the ill-fated precursor to MLS.
Andarik’s son Alecko was born in the ethnic hotbed of Montvale, New
Jersey in July of 1982 and almost at once showed an aptitude for
football. His father – who now owns a sporting goods store – did all
he could to nurture that talent.
`I have been playing soccer ever since I can remember,’ Alecko
recalls fondly. `And my first soccer memory is kicking the ball
around with my brother and my dad in our backyard and going nuts when
I scored a goal.’
It did not take long for the stocky poacher to climb the ladder of
the American game, scoring goals with a predatory instinct. What he
lacked in size and speed, he more than made up for with creativity
and a predatory nose for goal.
He was only 16 when the powers that be in U.S. Soccer noticed the
clever, cocksure Alecko. In 1999 he was called in to play with the
under-17 national team, went on to play four games with the under-20s
at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina in 2001, and led
the U-23 (Olympic) side in scoring in 2002 with seven goals.
It was only a matter of time before he got his chance with the big
boys in the senior squad. And it came on 26 May 2003, when he came
off the bench in a friendly against Wales.
Though he failed to score, it is surely just the beginning for the
young, stout striker. With Bruce Arena alerted to Eskandarian’s
substantial ability, he has been called into the training camp for
the final six-team `Hexagonal’ of North, Central American and
Caribbean Zone FIFA World Cup qualifying.
The U.S. will take on Trinidad & Tobago on 9 February in their first
match of the final round.