Alecko Eskandarian is used to getting a mixed reaction from the Giants Stadium crowd when he and D.C. United take on the New York Red Bulls. While the majority of the crowd root against him because of the jersey he is wearing, the Montvale, N.J., native and former Bergen Catholic star often hears cheers from his family and friends in the stands.
But that was different Saturday in the opening leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.
"I was laughing during warmups and I was like, 'Man, I think they kind of hate me now,'" Eskandarian said. "It was kind of weird because usually I come here and get a bunch of cheers from people who I grew up with, but today there were a lot of boo birds out there. But I just laugh it off."
Eskandarian chalks up his new villain status at the Meadowlands to his controversial goal celebration April 22 when he ran to the sideline after scoring in a dominating first half of a 4-1 win and grabbed a can of Red Bull from Jamil Walker sitting on the bench. He cracked it open, took a swig and then spit out the energy drink on the artificial turf.
He was fined $250 by the league for his celebration, one that has turned him into Public Enemy No. 1 in his home state.
"I know what it's like, I used to boo people when I was in the stands growing up too, so I take it with a grain of salt and I appreciate it," Eskandarian said. "They're just being good home fans and I just clap for them."
Instead of focusing on the negative energy coming from the majority of the 8,630 in attendance on a windy and cool Saturday, Eskandarian praised the vocal traveling support that was tucked away in the mezzanine on one end of the stadium.
"I've never seen away fans come to RFK with a group like D.C. fans come with to our away games," he said. "They're just great. Even when they're in the mezzanine so far away, you can still hear them, still see the waving flags. It definitely helps us and inspires us a lot. I'm very grateful that we have fans like we do."
He wasn't the only one impressed with the fans who made the trek, leaving happy after Christian Gomez's 77th-minute goal gave United the advantage in the series with a 1-0 victory.
"They can put our fans on the lower bowl, on the high bowl or maybe outside the stadium, we still would play for them," D.C. coach Peter Nowak said. "I'm very thankful to have these kinds of fans. They can put them in the parking lot, we're still going to have a presence. It was a great effort from them."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
