Photo by ISIphotos.com
The Los Angeles Galaxy was in the market for a forward and Chivas USA was trying hard to unload one of its surplus of forwards, so the Home Depot Center neighbors reached yet another deal, with Alecko Eskandarian heading to the Galaxy for allocation money.
Chivas USA had shopped Eskandarian to several teams, including the New York Red Bulls, but most teams were scared off by Eskandarian's high salary (more than $140,000 in 2009) and his inability to stay healthy. The Galaxy, in dire need of some goal-scoring help, decide the risk was worth it and made the deal for the former MLS Cup MVP.
Do you think Eskandarian can help the Galaxy make a successful playoff run? Think Chivas USA was wise to deal with a Western Conference rival (and supposed arch-rival)?
Share your thoughts below.
Eskandarian doesn’t have the pace to do anything but pick up garbage. Stay in front of him and he’s neutralized, end of story.
Arena continues to be a joke. Other than the Jamaican goalie, his signing are washed up MLS rejects.
Anything is better than Gordan, but c’mon now.
Mediocrity with US and Mediocrity Here.
He’s okay. Nowhere near the player he was in 2004.
I just hope his 2 goals a year come against Chivas now instead of RSL.
I am kinda shocked they let him go to the Galaxy. I guess if you really need the money you’ll make the move to anyone.
As for the Galaxy I think it is a great move, and it will allow Landon to go to an OCM position and help out the attack a lot.
few players that work harder, and are more dedicated than this guy. He’s had some ups and downs since 2004, but nobody should sleep on him, b/c he’s still young, and once he’s over his injury problems he’s gonna break out… I Just wish the Red Bulls got him
As a DC fan, I really, really hate that the Galaxy now have two of my all-time favorite players in Esky and Kovalenko.
For those who don’t remember the old Esky, according to MLS’ stats for DCU:
Esky,
Reg season minutes 4,494
Goals 20
Assists 7
Adu
reg season minutes 5,448
Goals 11
Assists 17
Esky
playoff minutes 596
goals 4
assists 1
Adu
playoff minutes 356
goals 0
assists 1
I agree with Bootsy and Beckster. Esky, before the concussion, could really score for DC. He was one of those guys this opposing fan used to worry about, and I can’t say the same about Adu during his time there.
Esky sucks. He scores like once every 10 games he plays. Sure he works hard and comes close a lot but he is a forward and expected to score. Also he’s absolutely useless outside the box.
great move by the galaxy if he can score on real madrid than he can score on any team hopefully he stays healthy the redbulls have the worst gm ever how do u pass on a proven goal scorer in the mls
The slide continues for Eskandarian…next stop will be Charleston Battery.
Esky was great in DC before the concussion. I dont’t think he’ll ever be the same again but he can be dangerous and I wish him well and hope it works out well for him and the Galaxy. He should love getting service from Beckham for a month or so!
Wow….MLS is so exciting.
Mullet: I guess you slept through the entire year 2004, huh? Bummer for you.
He is better than Alan Gordon, so its a step up for LA.
Conspiracy!
He’ll score once and then get knacked. He’s too much of a liability for a team in any need for a healthy, active striker like Galaxy or RBNY.
Eskandarian sucks.
ESPN planning World Cup blowout
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/richard_deitsch/07/01/espn.soccer/index.html
There is a reason why Esky cannot get on the field and has bounced around between 10 different teams in the last 3 years, and it ain’t because he is a problem in the locker room (which he definitely is not).
It’s because in professional soccer the most important skill is to be able to maintain possession of the ball. Anyone who watched Esky play in DC when Novak inconceivably gave him start after start (over Freddy and others) knows that Esky gave the ball away AT LEAST 90% of the time that he touched it. That is not an exaggeration. It is a fact, and it is why Esky will never be a great pro, no matter how hard he can strike a ball.
To take a guy like this for 140K shows you how desperate LA really is…
wow someone gave a roy lassiter reference and not as a joke….
esky is good for one game a year to be really useful as a forward …the rest either as a dude running around on the field or occupying the DL
Bootsy if by “nose for the goal” you mean losing possession everytime he touched the ball, then yes, you are correct.
Howevever, roy ‘lights out’ lassiter was a scoring phenom, the likes of which have may not been seen since ronaldo’s last tranny hooker.
Good move for both teams.
Eskandarian is definitely a step up from Gordon and Kirovski. I can just imagine Arena trying to put Jovan in with the deal and Chivas USA just shaking their heads like the apple pie lady on Seinfeld…
I hope they go with this lineup (looks good on paper, but probably would fail miserably):
Ricketts
Delagarza-Gonzalez-Berhalter-Dunivant
Beckham-Birchell-Donovan-Lewis
Buddle-Eska
Oh please. Until Matt Reis concussed Esky, Esky was miles and miles ahead of Freddy Adu. He had a nose for the goal like nobody in DC since Rocket Roy.
esky is horrible. it was a joke he got more PT in DC than Freddy.
Kudos for the Jimmy Bullard reference.
Alecko was a good guy on a team that has tenacious practices. (See Chivas injury list). I doubt he’ll ever come close to the player he once was at DC United.
I hate to see him go, especially to the Gals. Maybe he pans out.
Nice pickup,
he’s a dangerous forward who also makes players around him better…
Esky, Buddle and Gordon may allow Donovan to play in the middle or on the outside now, which would improve that team greatly. Assuming Beckham ever returns (seems like he’s taking his time)I like the look of
—-Buddle–Esky—- (Gordon_
Donovan——Beckham (Kirovsky/Lewis)
–MaGee–Kovalenko–
The back 4 is a different story
——Ricketts——
Mac – good point but Chivas is pretty deep at forward. He will see more time with LAG and maybe that will more likely help him get in form. he’s a hard worker and IF Beckham gives a little bit of effort to the Galaxy, Aleko could surprise in the 2nd half of the season. That is a big if though. Maybe Bruce will put LD on the opposite wing of Beckham to keep them as far apart as possible and Aleko will slide in next to Edson Buddle ot Alan Gordon. Anybody scared yet? LOL. Poor LA. You got to feel for them a little bit.
Good Move for Galaxy, he will help them alot. He is a good player just needs more playing time, hopofully Galaxy is will to give him playing time.
has anyone heard about birchell..
freakin NY was not afraid to sign an argentinian at over 200k salary who played in D2 in Greece but ..
who is paying his moving expenses?
lol at the picture.
That just made Saturday’s game a HELL of a lot more interesting….
I like Alecko but think Preki is shrewd enough that he wouldn’t have given up on him and sent him to the Galaxy if he thought the deal could come back to haunt Chivas.
He’ll help L.A. Galaxy as much as Jimmy Bullard helped Hull City.
Both teams get something desperately needed. Both teams come out winners in this one.