With its first-round pick (5th overall) in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, Chivas USA acquired attacking midfielder and Southern California native Sacha Kljestan from Seton Hall University, where he was a business major.
PROFESSIONAL
2007: Regular season: Played 25 regular-season games for Chivas USA (starting 25), logging 2186 minutes, scoring 4 goals and registering 13 assists. Finished first on the team and second in the league in assists. Playoffs: Played 2 postseason games for Chivas USA (starting 2), logging 180 minutes. 2006: Regular season: Played 32 regular-season games for Chivas USA (starting 31), logging 2676 minutes and registering 7 assists. Finished second on Chivas USA in assists, and first among MLS rookies in assists. Playoffs: Played 2 postseason games for Chivas USA (starting 1), logging 112 minutes, registering 1 assist.
UNIVERSITY
Kljestan started all 60 games during his collegiate career at SHU under head coach Manfred Schellscheidt, recording 20 goals and 28 assists. Seton Hall record for most assists in a season (2005)…First team NSCAA All-American (2004)…Third team NSCAA All-American (2005)…Big East Offensive Player of the Year (2005)…First team All-Big East (2004-05)…Third team All-Big East (2003)…First team All-Mid Atlantic Region (2004-05)…Second team All-Mid Atlantic Region (2003) …Seton Hall Freshman Male Athlete of the Year (2003)
HIGH SCHOOL
Huntington Beach High School, CA…Scored 11 goals with 11 assists (2002)…First team All-Sunset League (2002)
INTERNATIONAL
• Made his debut with the U.S. National Team in a June 2, 2007 friendly victory over China in San Jose, marking the occasion by notching an assist.
• Played two games (starting both) with the U.S. National Team in the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela.
• Captained the U.S. U-23 National Team during February 2007 tour of Japan and training camp at The Home Depot Center
• Particpated in U.S. National Team’s January 2007 camp at The Home Depot Center under head coach Bob Bradley
• Played two games (one start) for the U.S. U-20 national team at the 2005 World Youth Championship in the Netherlands.
OTHER
Played for the Region IV ODP team…Leading scorer for the Cal-South ODP team in the Regional and National Championships…Plays for U.S. U-20s, member of the World Championship squad (2005)
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Beginnings: From as young as I can remember I had a soccer ball on my foot - started kicking around as soon as I could walk, and started playing AYSO when I was four.
Chivas USA: My team, my colors. There’s a lot of passion from the fans and a lot of passion from everybody that works for this team. It’s a big deal for us.
Nicknames: My first season with the team, the Legión called me El Comandante because they said I reminded them of Ramón Ramírez. So that was an honor for me. Food: Mexican. I love carne asada. That, and Japanese food.
Off the field: I try to get the practical jokes going around the locker room, but everyone seems to catch on to what I’m trying to do around here.
