Kljestan making impact with U.S. squad

COLUMBUS -- When the United States national team takes to the Crew Stadium pitch on Wednesday evening to face rival Mexico to open the final round of World Cup qualifying, it will be almost 10 months since Sacha Kljestan scored a riveting goal on the same field for Chivas USA.

"I hope to get a chance to be a part of the match against Mexico and if I do then maybe if there's an opportunity I can do it again but my main focus is on us winning," he said.

It was April 12, 2008, when Kljestan ran onto the ball and unleashed a wicked 25-yard knuckler that left Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer defenseless as the ball curled into the upper right corner. The midfielder went on to score four more times for Chivas and earn a spot on the MLS Best XI, but none of his goals would be as clinical.

His finishing ability is one reason the Huntington Beach, Calif., native made the 20-man roster for the match against Mexico. It also didn't hurt that he become only the second U.S. player to have his first three national team goals in the same game when he had a hat trick during a 3-2 win over Sweden on Jan. 24.

"It's been important for Sacha to develop a more complete game, to continue to improve, to play at a higher level," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "To play an important role on the national team you have to do things that you do and make them calculable when the games are faster and harder and more difficult."

Kljestan also benefitted from a week-long trial with Celtic FC in January and although he reaffirmed his commitment to start the MLS season with Chivas USA, there is a possibility he could be headed overseas this year at some point.

"Come summertime we'll have a look at what's going on," he said. "I hope to be a mainstay with the national team."

His full attention for now is helping the U.S. hand the Mexicans a third consecutive qualifying defeat in Crew Stadium after victories in 2001 and four years later.

"I remember the '05 game pretty good. The '01 game I've seen highlights but I don't remember watching it," he said. "My main memory is the 2002 World Cup (another U.S. 2-0 victory). I always watched USA-Mexico but that the one that sticks out in my mind of all the games.

"Watching those games and watching the U.S. dominance over the past eight years, especially in the United States, has been quite an accomplishment."

Kljestan, who had a pair of goals in the 2008 Olympic tournament, has a good chance of being in the starting lineup on Wednesday as he continues his development as a steady international player after 13 caps, including six qualifiers.

"We continue to see things that show us he is picking up on certain things and improving and we see certain things that we can point out to him that maybe he can get better," Bradley said.

The most noticeable difference in the 23-year-old Kljestan is his appearance. Gone is the stringy long hair that had been his trademark in favor of a cropped look. The only one upset by the change was U.S. and Crew defender Frankie Hejduk, who won't let go of his rock star locks.

"Frankie's sad I cut my hair. He said he's the only one left now with the long hair. We're not brothers anymore, he says," Klejstan joked.

He's learned quite about the U.S.-Mexico rivalry from Hejduk, who has played in eight of them.

"There always so intense. Neither side wants to give an inch," Hejduk said.

The irony for Kljestan is he plays professionally for a club that is an offshoot of the Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara and he's had several Chivas teammates from the "enemy" side.

"I've always had the support of some of the Mexican players I've played with, guys like Ramon Ramirez and (Juan Francisco) Paco Palencia and Claudio Suarez, especially," he said. "Even though these are guys that if I was a little bit older potentially I could have matched up against in USA-Mexico games now they always tell me good luck when I leave for the national team. They always help me out with tips when I get back from games. I've always had their support. We can always trash talk a little bit, USA-Mexico, but they're all good guys and support me."

Yet to be seen is their reaction if he helps defeat Mexico.

Kljestan is one of eight current MLS players on the roster for the match (including Landon Donovan, on loan to Bayern Munich). The league players and several others spent January training in Carson, Calif., before being joined by their European brethren the past two days in Columbus.

Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching doesn't think it will be hard to get everyone to jell by Wednesday's kickoff.

"If you look at this team and the whole qualifying process it's pretty much the same core group of guys and Bob's done a good job of keeping the guys focused and on the same page as far as coming in and knowing what to expect from every player," he said.

It's the American Way.

"We don't talk much about just the camaraderie of this group of guys when they get together," Bradley said. "That's what's been behind our success. It's a great thing to see."