There have been whispers that Alecko Eskandarian might have to retire from soccer after suffering a serious concussion last year, but the 23-year-old D.C. United striker is having none of it.
“All that is talk, and no one has talked to me about it,” Eskandarian said, who put in his first full training session with United this week after being on the injured list since June. “People are always going to say things and assume things, but it is an injury like anything else. It was frustrating and tough to come back, but I feel great.”
Eskandarian suffered the concussion June 18 when he collided with New England goalie Matt Reis at RFK Stadium. He went on to miss 20 games with Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). Eskandarian said this week that all the doctors he spoke to in the last six months said he will be fine.
“If you look at other sports, there are a lot of people who have gone through this,” he said. “If you look at hockey, there are guys who have gone through 20 concussions.”
It is rare for professional soccer players to retire because of a concussion, but 29-year-old Ross Paule — the Columbus Crew’s 2003 MVP — was forced to retire last year because of PCS.
Eskandarian was United’s key striker in 2004, scoring 10 goals and was the 2004 MLS Cup MVP. But last season, he managed just one assist in 12 games before the injury.
His teammates are happy to see him back in training.
“No one wants to see a player that young retire,” United captain Jaime Moreno said. “He’s a big weapon we have.”
The worst part of being injured for Eskandarian, noted for being a fearless and tireless player, was having to watch his team play from the stands at RFK Stadium.
“I take pride in being one of the tougher guys helping the team pressure and there were so many times when I was watching the games that it just killed me inside,” Eskandarian said. “Sometimes I couldn’t watch and would just walk around the top level of the stadium.”
Eskandarian wore Full 90 protective headgear in training this week and said he may wear it through the season. Defender Ryan Suarez wore the same type of headgear playing for Chivas USA last year.
“I could go out there and throw my body about, but for now I’m just taking my time,” Eskandarian said. “There’s always going to be talk and you are only as good as your last game. I have to prove myself all over again.”
For now, the stocky striker just wants to put last year behind him.
“The way we lost left a bad taste in our mouth, so every one has a lot to prove and we are coming in with a little chip on our shoulder,” he said.
African woes — Three of the five World Cup-bound African teams lost in the opening round of the African Cup of Nations. Ghana, which plays the U.S. team at the World Cup on June 17, was stunned by Zimbabwe 2-1, while Togo and Angola also failed to advance from their groups.
Ghana was without injured star midfielder Michael Essien for the tournament, and missed suspended Lokomotive Moscow midfielder Laryea Kingston for the Zimbabwe match. Kingston is almost certain to miss the World Cup after being handed a four-game ban.
Roundup — American defender Cory Gibbs, who recently returned from a knee injury, is on loan from Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam to ADO Den Haag, where he joins American 2002 World Cup star John O’Brien … Manchester United has released 21-year-old, Baltimore-born forward Kenny Cooper … The MLS Cup will be at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, for the second consecutive season. The game is Nov. 12.
Koller on the mend — Big Czech Republic forward Jan Koller is battling to return from October knee surgery so he can face the U.S. team at the World Cup on June 12.
“Doctors say I should be fit to play if I pay enough attention to rehabilitation,” the 6-foot-6 forward said in a Czech newspaper. The 33-year-old Borussia Dortmund star has 40 goals in 66 international appearances.
The Czechs will play Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago in preparation for the World Cup.
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