Sacha Kljestan named to U.S. Olympic Team; Bornstein as MLS All-Star replacement

July 17, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CARSON, Calif. (Thursday, July 17, 2008) - Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan has been named to head coach Peter Nowak's 18-player team that will represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the United States Soccer Federation announced this morning. Kljestan, 22, has been a key member of the United States Under-23 squad that qualified for the Beijing Olympics in March, and has served as the captain of the team at various times throughout qualifying. In MLS this season, Kljestan has orchestrated the Chivas USA offense, leading the team in both goals (5), and assists (4).

The U.S. will begin its final preparation for the Beijing Olympics on Sunday, July 20, with six days of domestic training in San Jose, Calif. The team will then depart for Hong Kong, where it will participate in the ING Cup, facing fellow Olympic participants Ivory Coast on July 30 and Cameroon on Aug. 2. Kljestan is expected to join the team in Northern California on Monday, July 21, following Chivas USA's game on Sunday against the New England Revolution in SuperLiga.

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan was also named today to the U.S. Olympic Team as one of three players over the age of 23 allowed on the roster. Last week, Chivas USA and Major League Soccer agreed to a fee with Aston Villa for Guzan's transfer to the English Premier League side, pending approval of his British work permit. The 24-year-old Guzan, a Chivas USA Original, was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2007 and has notched four shutouts in 15 games so far this season.

In related news, Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein was named today to the MLS All-Star Team as one of three replacements for the players that will miss the All-Star Game due to Olympic commitments. Bornstein, a 23-year-old defender, was the MLS Rookie of the Year in 2006. A relatively unknown player entering his rookie season in 2006, he proved his versatility and catapulted his career to become a regular for the U.S. Men's National Team, and was also named to the MLS All-Star Team in 2007.

A million-dollar winner's prize and a spot in the semifinals are on the line as Major League Soccer's Chivas USA plays its first official match in Orange County this weekend, when it takes on fellow MLS rival the New England Revolution at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, July 20 at 5:00 p.m. PT. The match is the crucial third and final group game for both teams in SuperLiga 2008, with the winner guaranteed a place in the semifinals. Tickets, starting at just $15, are available by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visiting www.cdchivasusa.com, as well as at the Titan Stadium box office on gameday.



Major League Soccer Stories from July 17, 2008


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