When the USMNT kickoff their friendly with Belgium Wednesday night, midfielder Sacha Kljestan will see familiar faces not only on his home county’s side, but also the European visitors. Earlier this month Kljestan helped Anderlecht win their second consecutive Jupiler League title in Belgium.
“It’s a special feeling for me,” Kljestan said of the opportunity playing against the Belgians. “I know a lot of the guys from playing against them, but some of them play for the biggest clubs in Europe, so they are constantly in the papers and on the TV in Belgium. I know three guys personally on the team, so it will be exciting.”
The native Californian was on the bench but was not used the last time these two teams met, as Belgium won 1-0 in an early September 2011 match in Brussels.
“I still swapped jerseys with Romelu Lukaku since we played together at Anderlecht. It’s always cool to play against guys you know. We obviously want to win to get us momentum going into the qualifiers, but there are a lot of guys that I respect out there too. It will be fun going up against these guys again.”
Klejstan appeared in 31 league matches in last year’s Belgian league for the Purple and White, notching three goals as well as playing in seven matches in the UEFA Champions League.
When asked what it was like winning the league again this year, the only word he had for it was, “Exciting.”
“It was a bit of relief at the end of the season, since we had a great year, at the start of the playoffs we faltered a bit, there was a lot of stress and pressure towards the end, but when that final whistle blew, I was just so happy. I’ll be back in Champions League and give that another shot because we underachieved this year, and we want to be better next year.”
He also added:
“You go through so many ups and downs over the year and to win two titles is just outstanding. It was great to celebrate with my wife, friends, and teammates. I came back to California as a champion and life is just a lot better.”
Kljestan was quick to say that the two friendlies (versus Belgium and Germany [June 2 in DC]) are huge for the USMNT. If the U.S. wants to make a run into the later stages of the World Cup next summer, they need to beat quality teams like Belgium and Germany.
“These two games get us ready for three important qualifiers. We need to qualify first, that’s most important. Seven points this summer in three matches would be a big step for us to qualify.”
Not only is Kljestan a southern California native, he’s also friends with Robbie Rogers, who played his first match for the Galaxy this past weekend.
“I haven’t spoken to him personally since the game, but I’m sure he has been bombarded with positive messages. He’s ready to step up to the plate and be a role model and be a big face for what he stands for and I am proud of him. Even though he’s younger than me, I look up to him for his beliefs, his virtues, and his morals. He’s a top guy. ”
But for the USMNT, the fun summer starts Wednesday night when a stacked Belgium squad hits First Energy Stadium for a 8 p.m ET kickoff. Not only will it be great to see the Yanks on the shores of Lake Erie for the first time since 2006 (when the U.S. beat Venezuela 2-0 just months before the 2006 Germany World Cup), but this will also be a good time for Kljestan.
“I think it’s fun to play in many American football stadiums as we have over the years and watching the Browns when I was a kid makes it special.”
