Alecko Eskandarian – Director, Player Development at the MLS, 2x MLS All-Star, 2004 MLS Cup Champion & MVP sits down with Zartonk Media in an exclusive interview to discuss his Armenian-American Upbringing, Soccer Career, the Armenian National Team and more.
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About the Guest: Alecko Eskandarian was born July 9, 1982 in Montvale. His father, Andranik, played for the Iranian national team and later the New York Cosmos of the NASL. Growing up in Northern New Jersey, Alecko learned the game from his dad and developed his talent on top travel teams. He followed the game across the Atlantic, picking Arsenal as his favorite club.
Alecko attended Bergen Catholic High School. He recorded 154 goals during four varsity seasons with the Crusaders, including 66 in his senior season. That year he was named Gatorade National High School Athlete of the Year for 1999–2000, and earned prep All-America honors. No one in the Garden State before or since has come close to his scoring totals. Alecko attended the University of Virginia and played three years for the Cavaliers. In 2002, he set a school record with 25 goals and won the Hermann Award as the nation’s top college soccer player. He was also Soccer America’s College Player of the Year. He scored 50 goals in all for Virginia, and 15 of them were game-winners. Alecko was an All-American in each of his three college seasons.
In 2003, Alecko opted to skip his senior year and go pro after he was the first overall pick in the Major League Soccer draft. He scored three goals as a rookie for D.C. United and then led the team with 10 goals in 2004. Alecko netted four more in the postseason as United won the MLS Cup. Two came in a four-minute span during the title game against Kansas City, and helped him earn MLS Cup MVP honors.
A concussion sidelines Alecko for much of the 2005 campaign, but he returned to the field in 2006 to score 7 goals and be named an MLS All-Star for the second time in three seasons. D.C. traded Alecko after the 2006 season, and he bounced around MLS after that. He played for Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2010. A second concussion effectively ended his career.
Following his playing career, Eskandarian became the manager for New York Cosmos B and assistant managed the New York Cosmos under Giovanni Savarese. Currently, he works as a director for the MLS.
Follow Alecko on Social Media:
Facebook: Facebook.com/AleckoEskandarian/
Instagram: Instagram.com/Alecko11/
Twitter: Twitter.com/Alecko11
Linkedin: Linkedin.com/in/AleckoEskandarian/
About Zartonk Media:
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Zartonk Media is a new-age, independent Armenian multimedia outlet based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2019, Zartonk Media was inspired by admiration for the Armenian nation and the Armenian struggle. Through multimedia productions, we aim to create an arena and culture of debate and discourse that not only accurately represents the Armenian reality, but directly contributes to its development.
As the leading independent modern Armenian media company, Zartonk Media is dedicated to getting the future right. Our networks shed light on the most recent happenings relevant to the Armenian reality in both Armenia and the diaspora, in addition to igniting conversations and influencing culture through journalism, storytelling, and commentary on current events, history, and the greater political reality the Armenian nation finds itself in.
Powered by innovative technology that scales quality, we answer the always-changing needs of modern Armenian audiences. Our dedication, passion, and drive make Zartonk Media a keystone of modern Armenian media.
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