In the early fall of 2000, Virginia fans had their first glimpse of Alecko Eskandarian when he came off the bench.The youngster made an immediate impact, redirecting a pass from Kyle Martino into the net for his first collegiate goal and the first goal for the 2000 Cavaliers. Eskandarian relished this moment.
"I was a nobody my freshmen year," Eskandarian said. "The first two games I ever played I came off the bench. I was so drawn by the crowd and what a nice field we had. That place was so inspiring to play in, and I'll always remember playing there."
Virginia fans got used to three years of Eskandarian's uncanny scoring ability. After witnessing 50 career goals, three All-ACC selections and the national Player of the Year award in his junior year, they watched as D.C. United selected Eskandarian with the first overall pick in Major League Soccer's Super Draft.
D.C. United fans expected big things from the Virginia forward. But they were soon disappointed when Eskandarian spent much of his rookie campaign on the bench in an awful year for the United team. Over the offseason, D.C. brought in teenage phenom Freddy Adu, raising questions for some people about Eskandarian's development and his role on the team.
"Everyone kept telling me it's a jinx to be a No. 1 pick," Eskandarian said. "They were pretty much setting me up for failure. It was perfect for those guys to write bad things about me last year. I wasn't getting the playing time I thought I deserved. I just wanted to prove those guys wrong."
Despite the naysayers, Eskandarian kept up his confidence, reinforced by a new coach, Peter Nowak. Nowak started Eskandarian immediately.
"It's a world of difference between last year and this one," Eskandarian said. "The new coaching staff has instilled a different mentality on the team. Last year, we had some personal goals getting in the way of our team goals. Not much of the personnel is more different -- it's just how we play."
Eskandarian plays in good company, with international soccer veterans Ernie Stewart and Jaime Moreno. To learn the tricks of the professional trade, Eskandarian says he looks up to them.
"Ernie and Jaime have been through it all," Eskandarian said. "They've played in the top leagues in the world. They've been at the highest level, the level I aspire to get to someday. Anytime those guys open their mouth to talk, I listen and try to take in as much as possible. I'm lucky to have them around."
It seems like in his second season, the former Cavalier has finally turned the corner. He is the first D.C. United player to score 10 goals since 2001, establishing himself as the main scoring threat for the playoff-bound United.
Eskandarian faces off against former Virginia teammate Kenny Arena this weekend in a playoff match between United and the NY/NJ Metrostars.
"If I see him on the field, I'm telling him, 'No more goals for you,'" Arena said.
Even if Arena is not able to stop his ex-teammate this weekend, the two will remain good friends. Eskandarian keeps in touch with the men's and women's soccer teams and is even taking classes at Virginia to finish his degree.
"The amount I've matured in the last two years is amazing," Eskandarian said. "I left Charlottesville when I was still a kid growing up. By living on my own in the real world, I grew up a lot. Through all of that, the friends I had on the U.Va. team I'll keep with me the rest of my life."
Read More
No. 6 women’s squash falls to No. 5 Stanford in first match of the new year
By Peter Kratz | 6 hours agoThe Cavaliers fall to 0-1 in conference play after their first clash with the Cardinal.
Katie Grimes posts historic debut as women’s swimming and diving annihilates Virginia Tech
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayGrimes broke out as a new superstar for Coach Todd DeSorbo's squad.
Women’s basketball displays stingy defense, but falls short versus No. 14 Duke
By Xander Tilock | 2 days agoThe Cavaliers nearly conquered a ranked rival but could not generate consistent offense.
