An Interview With Alecko Eskandarian
By Rudi Schuller
March 23, 2007
Today, amidst rumours of the player demanding a trade, USector.ca spoke with Toronto FC striker Alecko Eskandarian. Correspondent Rudi Schuller finds out that he seems quite content with his new home.
Hello Alecko, thanks for the interview. First off, how is the training camp coming along, and what are your impressions of your new teammates?
Training camp has been great so far. Obviously I am a new player on a brand new team so it has been an interesting experience to say the least.We are still trying to mesh as a team and develop an identity. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I am very confident that our coaching staff will prepare us to be successful.
You’ve spent your entire MLS career up to this point at DC United. What were your first thoughts about getting traded for the first time, especially to an expansion team in a foreign country?
It’s definitely a feeling I will never be able to duplicate. I felt betrayed and welcomed at the same time. Hurt and excited. DC had become a home to me and the team and staff were like family, so it was definitely a shock when I was traded. There were no warning signs of any kind, and to this day I have not been given a reason as to why I was traded. But I do understand that this sometimes can be a dirty business and I have no hard feelings towards anyone from DC United. Toronto made it clear that they wanted me to have a big role on the team, and for that opportunity I am grateful.
Have you had a chance to see much of Toronto yet? If so, how does it compare with other cities you’ve been to?
Since I got traded in December, I have only been to Toronto for 5 days. I had surgery in LA in January, did my rehab out there, then joined the team in preseason in Florida. The 5 days that I was in Canada was freezing! There was a blizzard and everything. However, I did walk out and about in downtown and it looks like a fun city. Its definitely up there with one of the coolest cities in MLS.
Last year, you had a little bit of fun in a now famous goal celebration against the then newly renamed New York Red Bulls. Any plans to top that this year?
(Laughs) Most definitely. I definitely have a lot of fun playing the game of soccer and I don’t mind showing it. So any opportunity I can get to make people laugh I will take advantage of it. I have a few good celebrations up my sleeve that I will hopefully be able to use many times this season.
You were a fan favourite back in DC. What do you bring to the team that separates you from other players, on or off the field?
I think that is a question you would have to ask my former teammates in DC, but I definitely pride myself on my personality. I wear my heart on my sleeve and my teammates always know that when I am on the field I will be giving it 110%. Obviously I take pride in scoring goals, but I think I bring a lot of other things to the table as well that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. I’m definitely pretty intense on the field, probably a component of my hard Armenian roots and New Jersey background.
Off the field, I definitely am a jokester. I want to make sure my teammates are having fun and keep things loose in the locker room. I also can’t wait to meet the fans of TFC and do a lot of things in the community to help some important causes. But yeah, love me or hate me, I’m just me. I just try to be the best person I can be and improve every day.
Living in Toronto, you’ll almost be forced to become a hockey fan. What other sports are you a fan of, and who are some of the athletes that you grew up watching and admiring?
I love all sports, but I’m definitely a huge basketball and football fan. Its going to be weird not being able to go to NFL games… I grew up admiring Michael Jordan, Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, and so on. I still am a huge fan of other athletes. I love watching guys like Gilbert Arenas, Thierry Henry, and many others and trying to learn from them.
Now that you’ve been in the league a few years, you’re earned the status as a veteran. We all know that the vets like to give the younger guys a hard time in training camp. Is there any good-natured ribbing going on out on the field with the younger guys?
(Laughs) You definitely asked the right person that question. I guess I have built a bit of a reputation as a prankster. I actually just got back from the equipment room where I switched Jim Brennan’s practice gear with Marco Reda’s. I’m sure I will be hearing about it in a few minutes… But yeah, myself and my roommate Ronnie O’Brien have been messing with the rookies all preseason. The best candidates so far have been Andrea “Spoons” Lombardo, Tomer “Its not a Tumour!” Chencinski a.k.a. Boner, Mo Edu a.k.a. ProMo a.k.a. Diddy Wannabe, and Richard “I don’t know how old I am” Asante. Many many more pranks to come, I’ll try to keep you posted. I think I need to start a blog.
Canada has a lot of the same stuff as the States, but there are some differences. We pride ourselves on our unique food and our beer. Have you ever had poutine? Canadian beer? Ketchup-flavored potato chips?
If yes, how was it, and if no, what are you waiting for?
I have never had any of those things! What the hell is a poutine, eh??? And I don’t eat ketchup or tomatoes, so those potato chips are out of the question. I’m always open to new things though, so if you see me out on the streets of Toronto remind me to try that stuff.
Your birthday is July 9. You share a birthday with such luminaries as Donald Rumsfeld, Tom Hanks, O.J. Simpson, Dean Koontz, Chris Cooper, John Tesh, Jimmy Smits, Courtney Love, myself, and Fred Savage (Kevin from the Wonder Years).
What is it about being born on July 9 that brings out the best (Tom Hanks, Chris Cooper) and worst (O.J. Simpson, Courtney Love) that society has to offer?
I don’t know! Must be in the stars I guess, my fellow Cancer-ians are definitely unique. However, I must say I am not thrilled about being thrown into the same category as OJ and Courtney Love.
According to Wikipedia – which according to Steven Colbert is always right – you’ve played one international match with the US, back in 2003. How important is it to you to get back to the national team?
That is definitely one of my biggest goals for this season. I am so hungry to get back in to the national team picture. Not only to get called in, but to play in meaningful matches and to have a big impact. I was called into the January camp but ended up needing surgery so now my hope is to get called in to the summer tournaments. There is no better feeling than representing your country, and it’s been something that has been on my mind for some time. When I was out with my post concussion syndrome, the chance to get back in with the national team was one of the main driving forces behind my comeback.
Finally, is there anything else you’d like to say to the readers of Usector.ca and the fans of Toronto FC?
There’s a lot I want to tell all the fans, but I want my play to do the talking. I can’t wait to start the season and see a packed house every Saturday in Toronto. The guys on the team are very encouraged by all the support we have gotten so far and we will do our best to represent your city. All I can say is I will always leave everything I have out on the pitch when I play. Thank you to all the fans for the support and messages, and I’ll see you in Toronto.
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