Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA today announced a trade between the 2005 MLS expansion partners, with the Utah side receiving allocation money from the southern California club in exchange for veteran FW Alecko Eskandarian. Per club policy, financial details of the allocation will not be released. Today's allocation acquisition, which comes a month after Real Salt Lake sent Atiba Harris to Chivas USA in exchange for a 2008 MLS SuperDraft third round selection, gives RSL added financial resources that will be earmarked for prospective additions to the roster.
"We sincerely appreciate Alecko's contributions to Real Salt Lake during his short time with the team," said RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey. "He is a great teammate, a tireless worker on the field and a talented player, but we have some good young players at his position and it became clear this move was in the best interests of both parties. We wish him all the best."
Even more additions to the Utah side's roster will soon be made, as the RSL Technical Staff is preparing to make its four selections (3rd, 14th, 17th & 37th) in this afternoon's MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore. RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis kicks off preseason training next Saturday, January 26, in Salt Lake City and will put his team through two months of conditioning and exhibition contests leading up to RSL's March 29 Rice-Eccles Stadium opener vs. Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire.
Eskandarian departs Real Salt Lake after spending the final five months of the 2007 MLS campaign in Salt Lake City after he was acquired from Toronto FC last May 22 along with this year's #14 overall SuperDraft selection and cash considerations in a blockbuster trade that sent striker Jeff Cunningham to the Canadian club. During his tenure with RSL, the hard-working Eskandarian started in all 17 of his appearances while contributing a goal and a team-high-tying three assists across 1,428 minutes of play. When combined with his time at Toronto FC, Eskandarian tallied two goals and three assists in 23 regular season contests during the 2007 campaign. The five-year MLS veteran and 2004 MLS Cup MVP heads to Chivas USA with 22 goals and 10 assists during 104 career regular season appearances (70 starts) with D.C. United, Toronto FC, and Real Salt Lake to go along with four goals and one helper in seven MLS Cup Playoff contests with United.
