Eskandarian: "I have big shoes to fill"

The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah)
05/25/2007

By Martin Renzhofer

Alecko Eskandarian admitted to feeling pressure. He is, after all,
expected to replace Major League Soccer’s leading scoring in 2006, and
become the linchpin of Real Salt Lake’s drive to escape the basement of
the Western Division.

On Tuesday, RSL (0-3-4) traded Jeff Cunningham, who had 16 goals and 11
assists last season and three goals in 2007, to Toronto.

Life has come at Eskandarian in a rush, lately. He had just scored his
first goal for Toronto days before the trade and was getting settled in
his new place. He’d just opened a bank account and had just gotten a
Canadian phone line.

"For sure, a lot of pressure," said the new forward, following his first
practice with RSL. "I like to believe I thrive under pressure. I have
big shoes to fill, but I’m here to be me."

Eskandarian, with D.C. United until he was traded to Toronto during this
most recent off-season, also must contend with the altitude and a new
synthetic playing surface.

"It was all right," he said after practice with the team Friday. "It was
kind of weird. I’m just getting my feet wet."

When asked if Eskandarian would start Sunday at Chicago, RSL coach Jason
Kreis offered a hint of a smile and said, "We’ll see."

"I think the world of the guy," Kreis said. "[Practice] was spirited
today. The session was excellent."

Former D.C. United teammates Nick Rimando and Freddy Adu welcomed
Eskandarian.

"There was a definite comfort factor there," Kreis said.

Meanwhile, Kreis continues to mold RSL into his team, with the recent
hiring goalkeeper coach Jeff Cassar. Peter Mellor, who had that position
under former head coach John Ellinger, was released.

Cassar, 33, spent the past five months on FC Dallas’ coaching staff and
was a longtime teammate and friend of Kreis’ in Dallas. With the
shakeups come natural anxiety among the players and staff.

"It can make some players very nervous," Kreis said. "Those players need
to be comforted. For other guys it is positive, ‘A new chance for me.’

"At the end of the day, I felt Jeff was somebody I have a great deal of
comfort be around"

Briefly: Midfielder Carey Talley will miss three to four weeks with a
fracture of a small bone in his lower right leg. Talley was injured in
the 10th minute of RSL’s 2-1 loss at F.C. Dallas on May 20.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress