USA Men’s Olympic Roster Named

The roster for the US U23 squad that will play at the upcoming Olympic games has been named. Lots of familiar names including including Brian McBride, Brad Guzan and Michael Parkurst as the three older players allowed under the rules. Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley and some others. Then there’s the fellow pictured in the photo (by Micheal Goulding, Orange County Register) who I’ve seen plenty of as I’ve become a Chivas USA fan this season:

Sacha Kljestan, captain of Team USA during Olympic qualifying, is also a lock to be named Thursday to the U.S. squad for the 2008 Olympic Games, the first major international tournament in a young career that promises to be full of them. In Kljestan, many in American soccer see the playmaker Team USA has missed since Claudio Reyna’s retirement from the international game. Kljestan is one of the top passers in MLS but his real gifts are his vision and imagination, what U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley calls his “Soccer IQ.”

Check out the complete story in the Orange County Register, describing Sacha’s background and his father’s journey from Serbia, to Canada, and then into the US 28 years ago with an athletic bag and $150. Immigrants rule!