Andranik Eskandarian

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Andranik Eskandarian
Personal information
Full name	Andranik Eskandarian
Date of birth	December 31, 1951 (age 55)
Place of birth	Tehran, Iran
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Retired
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1970-1972 1972-1979 1979-1984 1985-1986	F.C. Ararat Tehran Taj New York Cosmos New York Express	164 (0)
National team2
1975-1978	Iran	29 (0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 August 2006. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 26 August 2006. * Appearances (Goals)

Andranik Eskandarian (Armenian: Անդրանիկ Էսքանտարեան, born December 31, 1951 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian American football (soccer) player of Armenian descent, who played defender for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

Eskandarian played for Iran in the 1978 World Cup. Soon after that he moved to America to play for the highest-profile team in the country, the New York Cosmos, beginning in the 1979 season. After the Cosmos folded in 1984, Eskandarian played for the New York Express of the Major Indoor Soccer League for a few years.

Eskandarian played in the United States at the height of tensions between the United States and Iran. Despite these tensions, Eskandarian was still admired by American Soccer fans and was a fan favorite.

Eskandarian became a U.S. citizen in 1984. Andranik's son, Alecko, currently plays striker for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.

Nowadays he helps out in Hubert Birkenmeier's football shop in Hackensack, New Jersey, he also owns his own shop in Ramsey, New Jersey.

	Iran squad - 1978 FIFA World Cup
1 Hejazi | 2 Danaeifard | 3 Fariba | 4 Bishkar | 5 Allahverdi | 6 Nayebagha | 7 Parvin | 8 Ghasempour | 9 Sadeghi | 10 Rowshan | 11 Ghesghayan | 12 Movadat | 13 Tajmuri | 14 Nazari | 15 Eskandarian | 16 Nurai | 17 Jahani | 18 Faraki | 19 Shojaei | 20 Abdollahi | 21 Kazerani | 22 Korbekandi | Coach: Mohajerani