5 year deal (3 years and 2 option) expected first pick in draft, $50-60/year this could signal major trade movements Eskandarian Signs with MLS - N.Y. Times
have we heard from Hudson or Bradley if they're really that high on Alesko? or is there a lot of (media) presumption going on? just wondering.
The question is now... Will Alecko be P-40 for 1 year since he left school early or will he take a full roster spot?
Doesn't salary also affect whether a player is classified as a P-40 (or Transitional Int'l for that matter)?
This guy has a great chance to be a very good MLS player IMHO. He could reach Kreis' or Ralston's level no problem.
Like his dad, he belongs in NY. He will be watched closely by the Iranian community in the US. I hope he succeeds.
Ethnic Armenian, but his family is from Iran. Andranik Eskandarian played for Iran in the 70s (including during the 78 World Cup) before moving to the US after the revolution.
I really hope the Metrostars get him. This way he can play at home and his dad can watch him play with no problem. Plus I'd like to see him team up with Mathis.
How many Iranians live in the San Jose area? Probably more than a few, but there're certainly a LOT more down in LA. If MLS wanted to take advantage of Azizi's Iranian heritage, they should have put him on the Galaxy, just as they did with Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz and Korea's Hong Myung Bo.
No. Eskandarian was born and raised in New Jersey so the Iranian ties are pretty weak. Azizi, though, was a World Cup player for Iran, and might have been a decent draw in LA where about 300,000 or so Iranians live.
LA has way more than 300,000 Mexicans, but bringing in El Matador didn't do anything to bring them out en masse. The Quakes played in LA with Azizi twice and not many Iranians turned out. The Bay area has a big Iranian population and the only substantial number of them turned out for his debut and that was it.
Since it seems pointless to market the sport to Americans, maybe MLS should just completely cave in to the ethnic pandering and create a league with: A team of all Mexicans in LA and Dallas El Salvadorians in DC Portugese in Boston Puerto Ricans in NY (would be Miami but we know they can't support a team) Japanese in Seattle Poles in Chicago Koreans in LA Chinese in Houston (Yao Ming fever spreads!) Somalis in Maine Various African countries in Atlanta Institute a limit of no more than 3 Americans per team.