Alecko Eskandarian
Encyclopedia
Alecko Eskandarian is a former American
soccer player who last played for Los Angeles Galaxy
. He currently is the youth technical director for Philadelphia Union.
Eskandarian won the 1999-00 Gatorade
National High School Athlete of the Year Award. He was also named a NSCAA/adidas All-American and New Jersey State Player of the Year after leading the state of New Jersey in scoring with 66 goals and 15 assists through 25 games during his senior year. He finished his high school career with 154 career goals, the most in Bergen County history and the second most in New Jersey high school history.
Prior to playing as a professional, he played three years of soccer for the University of Virginia
where he was named the best player in college soccer and awarded the Hermann Trophy
in 2002 after scoring 25 goals (a school record) and 4 assists for the Cavaliers. He played three standout seasons at the University of Virginia and established himself as one of the all-time greats at the school. He finished his Cavaliers career with 50 goals (including 15 game winners), 113 points, and 13 assists in 60 games, before foregoing his senior year to go pro. During his 3 seasons at UVA, Eskandarian was a 3-time All-American, 1st Team All-ACC, ACC
Rookie of the Year in 2000, and was also named ACC Player of the Year and Soccer America's College Player of the Year
in 2002. Eskandarian returned to the University during the 2010 season to finish his degree and take an assistant coaching job with the team.
, who drafted him #1 overall in the 2003 MLS Superdraft
. During his first season he recorded three goals and two assists in 23 games. In the 2004 season, after the replacement of coach Ray Hudson
with Peter Nowak
, Eskandarian saw significantly more playing time. In his sophomore campaign, Eskandarian led D.C. United in goal scoring with ten in the regular season and added two assists, while scoring 4 more goals in the playoffs as DC United won the 2004 MLS Cup. His strong play also earned him the D.C. United Coaches Award for 2004 and his first spot on the MLS All-Star team.
On November 14, 2004, Eskandarian played in his first MLS Cup
game. He helped D.C. United defeat the Kansas City Wizards
and win the championship by scoring two goals in the first half just four minutes apart — the fastest pair of goals in MLS Cup history — and was named the MLS Cup MVP. In 2005, Alecko's season ended early after suffering a concussion. After missing most of 2005 with post-concussion syndrome, Eskandarian wasted no time in making his mark on the 2006 season, scoring against New York in the season opener. In 22 games for D.C. United, Eskandarian recorded seven goals and two assists, including Goal of the Week honors on 5/13 for his tally against KC. His impressive return to form netted Eskandarian a Commissioner's Pick as an MLS All-Star, his second nod to the League's showcase event.On August 9, 2006, during the 2006 Summer Tour of Real Madrid
, he scored DC United's only goal in a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid.
On December 22, 2006, Eskandarian was traded from D.C. United to Toronto FC
for a partial allocation. On May 22, 2007, Eskandarian was traded from Toronto FC to Real Salt Lake in exchange for forward Jeff Cunningham
.
Between Real Salt Lake and Toronto, Eskandarian played 23 games (starting all 23), scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists, logging 1,913 minutes.
Chivas USA acquired Eskandarian from Real Salt Lake
in exchange for salary cap allocation money. This move was announced on January 18, 2008 at the 2008 MLS SuperDraft
.
In 2008, after missing much of the first half of the season due to surgery on a torn adductor, Eskandarian came on strong late in the year and finished the season tied for first on the team with five goals and two assists in just 8 starts. In a span between Aug. 30 and Oct. 4, he scored a goal against each of his three previous teams (RSL, Toronto, and DC).
Eskandarian was traded to city rivals Los Angeles Galaxy
on July 1, 2009. Chivas USA received allocation money and a third round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft
in return. He scored in his debut for the Galaxy on July 4, 2009. The goal was a game winner as Los Angeles beat New England 1-0.
Eskandarian scored again in a 3-1 win at New York on July 16, a goal which was nominated for MLS Goal of the Year. However, the 27-year-old was injured early in the second half of the Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with AC Milan on July 19 when the ball was inadvertently cleared into his face, causing a concussion and broken nose.
Due to injury, Alecko was not medically cleared and was sidelined indefinitely since March 2010. It is strongly implied that he is retired as he has been the assistant coach for the Virginia Cavaliers
soccer club. On June 15, 2011, it was announced that Eskandarian had joined Philadelphia Union’s technical staff as their youth technical director under the direction of the program's coach John Hackworth
.
, against Wales
on May 27, 2003.
He has also represented the United States at the U-17, U-20, and U-23 national teams. Eskandarian was leading scorer of the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Mexico in 2004 (4 goals), although the US team failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
descent and is the son of former Iran
ian national team player Andranik Eskandarian
, who played soccer professionally for the New York Cosmos
.
Eskandarian also appeared on episode 44 of Keeping up with the Kardashians
. During the episode, Kim Kardashian
was set up with Alecko on a blind date.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who last played for Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. He currently is the youth technical director for Philadelphia Union.
High School and College
While at Bergen Catholic High SchoolBergen Catholic High School
Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade...
Eskandarian won the 1999-00 Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
National High School Athlete of the Year Award. He was also named a NSCAA/adidas All-American and New Jersey State Player of the Year after leading the state of New Jersey in scoring with 66 goals and 15 assists through 25 games during his senior year. He finished his high school career with 154 career goals, the most in Bergen County history and the second most in New Jersey high school history.
Prior to playing as a professional, he played three years of soccer for the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
where he was named the best player in college soccer and awarded the Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
in 2002 after scoring 25 goals (a school record) and 4 assists for the Cavaliers. He played three standout seasons at the University of Virginia and established himself as one of the all-time greats at the school. He finished his Cavaliers career with 50 goals (including 15 game winners), 113 points, and 13 assists in 60 games, before foregoing his senior year to go pro. During his 3 seasons at UVA, Eskandarian was a 3-time All-American, 1st Team All-ACC, ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Rookie of the Year in 2000, and was also named ACC Player of the Year and Soccer America's College Player of the Year
Soccer America Player of the Year Award
Beginning in 1984, Soccer America Magazine began naming a college player of the year. At the time Soccer America was the best source for U.S. soccer, especially collegiate soccer which was rarely covered by the national news services...
in 2002. Eskandarian returned to the University during the 2010 season to finish his degree and take an assistant coaching job with the team.
Professional
Eskandarian played his first four MLS seasons for D.C. UnitedD.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, who drafted him #1 overall in the 2003 MLS Superdraft
2003 MLS SuperDraft
The 2003 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held January 17, 2003 in Kansas City, Missouri.-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:References=* USA Today MLS Draft List...
. During his first season he recorded three goals and two assists in 23 games. In the 2004 season, after the replacement of coach Ray Hudson
Ray Hudson
Ray Hudson , is a retired professional football player and former coach who currently works as an English-language football commentator on Gol TV.-Career:...
with Peter Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
, Eskandarian saw significantly more playing time. In his sophomore campaign, Eskandarian led D.C. United in goal scoring with ten in the regular season and added two assists, while scoring 4 more goals in the playoffs as DC United won the 2004 MLS Cup. His strong play also earned him the D.C. United Coaches Award for 2004 and his first spot on the MLS All-Star team.
On November 14, 2004, Eskandarian played in his first MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
game. He helped D.C. United defeat the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
and win the championship by scoring two goals in the first half just four minutes apart — the fastest pair of goals in MLS Cup history — and was named the MLS Cup MVP. In 2005, Alecko's season ended early after suffering a concussion. After missing most of 2005 with post-concussion syndrome, Eskandarian wasted no time in making his mark on the 2006 season, scoring against New York in the season opener. In 22 games for D.C. United, Eskandarian recorded seven goals and two assists, including Goal of the Week honors on 5/13 for his tally against KC. His impressive return to form netted Eskandarian a Commissioner's Pick as an MLS All-Star, his second nod to the League's showcase event.On August 9, 2006, during the 2006 Summer Tour of Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, he scored DC United's only goal in a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid.
On December 22, 2006, Eskandarian was traded from D.C. United to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for a partial allocation. On May 22, 2007, Eskandarian was traded from Toronto FC to Real Salt Lake in exchange for forward Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who played on multiple Major League Soccer teams. He is the MLS all-time leader in goals scored with 134.-College:...
.
Between Real Salt Lake and Toronto, Eskandarian played 23 games (starting all 23), scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists, logging 1,913 minutes.
Chivas USA acquired Eskandarian from Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
in exchange for salary cap allocation money. This move was announced on January 18, 2008 at the 2008 MLS SuperDraft
2008 MLS SuperDraft
The 2008 MLS SuperDraft took place on January 18, 2008 in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the ninth annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The first selection was made by the Kansas City Wizards, after acquiring the selection from the expansion San Jose Earthquakes...
.
In 2008, after missing much of the first half of the season due to surgery on a torn adductor, Eskandarian came on strong late in the year and finished the season tied for first on the team with five goals and two assists in just 8 starts. In a span between Aug. 30 and Oct. 4, he scored a goal against each of his three previous teams (RSL, Toronto, and DC).
Eskandarian was traded to city rivals Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
on July 1, 2009. Chivas USA received allocation money and a third round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft
2010 MLS SuperDraft
The 2010 MLS SuperDraft was the eleventh annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 14, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 2010 NSCAA Convention. The 2010 SuperDraft consisted of four rounds with sixteen selections each, for a total of 64 players...
in return. He scored in his debut for the Galaxy on July 4, 2009. The goal was a game winner as Los Angeles beat New England 1-0.
Eskandarian scored again in a 3-1 win at New York on July 16, a goal which was nominated for MLS Goal of the Year. However, the 27-year-old was injured early in the second half of the Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with AC Milan on July 19 when the ball was inadvertently cleared into his face, causing a concussion and broken nose.
Due to injury, Alecko was not medically cleared and was sidelined indefinitely since March 2010. It is strongly implied that he is retired as he has been the assistant coach for the Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
soccer club. On June 15, 2011, it was announced that Eskandarian had joined Philadelphia Union’s technical staff as their youth technical director under the direction of the program's coach John Hackworth
John Hackworth
John Hackworth is an American soccer coach who is a Coach and Youth Development Coordinator for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. He also served as an assistant with the United States national team and as head coach of the United States U-17 men's national soccer team. He was also the...
.
International
Eskandarian has played one game for the United States national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on May 27, 2003.
He has also represented the United States at the U-17, U-20, and U-23 national teams. Eskandarian was leading scorer of the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Mexico in 2004 (4 goals), although the US team failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Personal
Alecko is of ArmenianArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
descent and is the son of former Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian national team player Andranik Eskandarian
Andranik Eskandarian
Andranik Eskandarian is an Armenian Iranian-American footballer. He played as a defender for the F.C. Ararat Tehran, Taj F.C. and New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League....
, who played soccer professionally for the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
.
Eskandarian also appeared on episode 44 of Keeping up with the Kardashians
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Keeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series that airs on E!. The series premiered in October 2007. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the members of the Kardashian and Jenner family. There will be a 7th Season to premiere in 2012.As of September 2011,...
. During the episode, Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for the E! reality series that she shares with her family—Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York...
was set up with Alecko on a blind date.
Honors
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
MLS Cup Champion (1). 2004 - Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
MLS Cup MVP (1). 2004 - Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
MLS All Star (1). 2004 - Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Supporter's Shield (1): 2006 - Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
MLS All Star (2). 2006