This month, Sacha Kljestan and Chivas USA agreed to a transfer fee with Belgian side Anderlecht. The details of a transfer were not disclosed. It’s a move that was expected at some point as Kljestan is a rising star and nearly made a move in the 2009 winter transfer window to Celtic. He was on the 30 man preliminary roster for the USA but didn’t make the final 24.

Kljestan recently spoke with Anderlecht in an interview posted on their website about the move. One thing that probably attracted Kljestan is the ability to play in the UEFA Champions League as Anderlecht qualified for by winning the Belgian league. They aren’t in the group stage but are in the third qualifying round and will need to advance through that and a play-off round to make the group stage. Below is the interview.

Sacha Kljestan Talks About Move To Anderlecht (Full story can be found on the club’s official site here)

“I am glad to be part of the Anderlecht family”, Kljestan said. “I really feel at home here. I haven’t been able to see much of Brussels yet, but as soon as I’ve found a place to live, I’m going to explore the city. One thing I’m going to miss about LA? The candy”, he smiled.

The 24-year-old midfielder, who is hoping to learn French soon, has also adjusted well during training. “Things are great here in Tegelen: the environment’s pleasant, we’re staying at a nice hotel and training is also going well. I’m happy to be part of a group with so many talented players.” One of the midfielder’s strong points is the fact that he can play pretty much anywhere. “I’m a box-to-box midfielder, so I have both defensive and attacking qualities. Moreover, I run a lot and I’m also skilled at passing.” He owes a lot to his father, a former semi-professional player. “My father has always supported me and he has taught me a lot. He often took me and my older brother, who is currently playing for the second-division team FC Tampa Bay, to the park to practise.”

Before he became a pro player, the Californian played for the Seton Hall University team, where he majored in sports management. “That was an amazing time. Although I only completed three out of four years – because I wanted to start my professional career – it was wonderful to play for that team.” But Kljestan is most proud of his achievements as an international. “There have been two peaks in my career up until now: playing at the Olympics in Beijing and making it to the final of the Confederations Cup in 2009, which we unfortunately lost 2-3 to Brazil.” The midfielder always carries the memory of the Olympics, where he scored twice in three matches, with him. “On my left arm, I have a tattoo of the Olympic wreath, 2008 in roman numerals and the Latin word ‘Somnium’, which means ‘To Dream’. My other tattoo, ‘VGSK’, represents the initials of my sister, brother, father and mother.”

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Arsenal beats Standard Liege 2-0 – Video Highlights

Arsenal would dominate the first half and take the lead on a 35th minute goal from Samir Nasri. The Gunners responded well from their disappointing loss in the EPL on the weekend. Standard Liege created few chances and could not match the play of Arsenal throughout the match.

Just before the end of the first half, Arsenal would extend their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Denilson. Standard had only one shot on goal in the entire match and only 27% of possession. Arsenal has no qualified for the knockout stage.

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UEFA Champions League Recap – Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Liverpool failed to win and their chances of advancing out the group stage took a major hit. They had a 1-0 lead late at Lyon but conceded a goal to end in a 1-1 draw. Arsenal had no trouble against AZ Alkmaar and won 4-1. Rangers, like Liverpool, were up 1-0 late before conceding a late goal and putting their knockout stage chances in serious doubt.

Inter Milan finally got their first win and now leads the group with a 2-1 win over Dynamo Kiev. FC Barcelona and FK Rubin Kazan played to a scoreless draw. The group of these four clubs is very crowded and any team could still qualify.

Standard Liege beat Olympiacos 2-0 and Fiorentina beat Debrecen 5-2. Debrecen is the only club to not have a point in the group stage.

Overall, the group standings are very close and a very real possibility that clubs like Liverpool, Inter Milan, FC Barcelona, and Rangers could all miss out.

UEFA Champions League Video Highlights – Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Matchday 4 – 04 November 2009

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UEFA Champions League Recap – Tuesday, October 20, 2009

There were several upsets and surprise results on Tuesday. Rubin Kazan defeated FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Lyon defeated Liverpool at Anfield, and Rangers were crushed at home.

Barcelona looked average in their match and its not unexpected to have a let down once in a while. Liverpool was missing Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard (only played 25 minuted then left in 1st half) but still had a lead late in the match. They conceded two goals in the final 20 or so minutes as the Anfield faithful were stunned. It’s  a terrible loss and they could miss out on the knockout stage.

Rangers once again were beaten easily at home and don’t appear to be able to compete in the Champions League this season. Arsenal had a lead against AZ Alkmaar but conceded a 90th minute goal to get a 1-1 draw. None of the big clubs had victories as there were several draws. Inter Milan once again had a draw as they couldn’t defeat Dynamo Kiev. Milan conceded an own goal which proved to be the difference and they would have likely won without it.

Overall, the group stage is at its halfway stage and most of the groups are still very close in the standings.

Video Highlights

Matchday 3 – 20 October 2009

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Predictions (times listed are GMT)

Tuesday, 29 September 2009

AZ v Standard Liege, Gp H, 19:45 – Draw 1-1

Arsenal v Olympiakos, Gp H, 19:45 – Arsenal win 2-0

Barcelona v Dynamo Kiev, Gp F, 19:45 – Barcelona win 3-1

Debrecen v Lyon, Gp E, 19:45 – Lyon wins 1-0

Fiorentina v Liverpool, Gp E, 19:45 – Liverpool wins 1-0

Rangers v Sevilla, Gp G, 19:45 – Rangers win 3-2

Rubin Kazan v Inter Milan, Gp F, 17:30 – Draw 0-0

Unirea Urziceni v VfB Stuttgart, Gp G, 19:45 – Draw 1-1

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

AC Milan v FC Zurich, Gp C, 19:45 – AC Milan wins 4-1

Apoel Nicosia v Chelsea, Gp D, 19:45 – Chelsea wins 1-0

Bayern Munich v Juventus, Gp A, 19:45 – Bayern Munich wins 2-1

Bordeaux v Maccabi Haifa, Gp A, 19:45 – Bordeaux wins 3-0

CSKA Moscow v Besiktas, Gp B, 17:30 – Draw 2-2

FC Porto v Atletico Madrid, Gp D, 19:45 – Porto wins 1-0

Man Utd v Wolfsburg, Gp B, 19:45 – Man U wins 4-0

Real Madrid v Marseille, Gp C, 19:45 – Real Madrid wins 4-2

USA & UK TV Listings and Video Previews (click on each match, most will be added later on Sept 28)

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In the initial rankings, FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool are at the top as they had good performances in their first group stage matches. AC Milan and Inter are also in the top 10 representing Italy but still have to prove they can compete with those other top teams from the Premiership and La Liga. Here’s are the power rankings.

1. Manchester United
2. FC Barcelona
3. Chelsea
4. Real Madrid
5. Liverpool
6. Arsenal
7. AC Milan
8. Bayern Munich
9. Wolfsburg
10. Sevilla
11. Lyon
12. Internazionale (Inter Milan)
13. Juventus
14. FC Porto
15. Bordeaux
16. Rangers
17. Marseille
18. Dynamo Kiev
19. Olympiacos
20. Fiorentina
21. Stuttgart
22. Atletico Madrid
23. Besiktas
24. Standard Liege
25. APOEL FC
26. AZ Alkmaar
27. PFC CSKA Sofia
28. Debrecen VSC
29. FC Rubin Kazan
30. FC Unirea Urziceni
31. Maccabi Haifa FC
32. FC Zurich

Now, the rankings are really an estimate as there’s only been one week of matches and hard to tell how good some teams are outside of the top 5. There’s clear a drop off from the bottom half to the top and several teams in the middle such as Lyon, Rangers, and Wolfsburg. The next set of rankings will be published on Thursday, October 1, 2009.

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UEFA Champions League Recap – Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Most of the favorites won on Wednesday as Liverpool, Arsenal, Lyon, and Olympiacos all had victories. In the marquee matchup, Internazionale was able to hold off Barcelona for a scoreless draw. Barca had most of the chances and had 65% of possession in the match. Inter had to play very defensive, especially in the second half, as they relied on counterattacking to get any chances. Barcelona appear to be in good form and had a few close offsides calls that could have changed the outcome of the match.

Arsenal looked rough in the beginning at Standard Liege as they went down 0-2 and had to score 3 unanswered goals to win. After the bad start, Arsenal recovered and controlled the rest of the match as they continue to look strong in all competitions. Liverpool won 1-0 at home against Debrecen but continues to look mediocre early in the season. They won the match which is most important but lacked the sharpness that should have made it 3-0 win.

The rest of the results weren’t too surprising as most of the home teams won except for Rangers who earned a draw at Stuttgart. The Scottish club is in one of the weaker groups and has a very good chance to advance to the knockout stage. Every team has now played on match in the group stage with five more to go before the knockout stage.

Video Highlights

Matchday 1 – 16 September 2009

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Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – A convincing 2-0 victory at Craven Cottage and another clean sheet for Howard was a fantastic way to cap the 2008/09 English Premier League season for Everton. Howard’s 17 clean sheets helped lead Everton to a 5th place finish ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup Final. Howard had 4 saves on the game and is starting to reach the peak of career. After the FA Cup next weekend, Howard will have several international matches this summer.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scottish Premier League – Edu started and played the full game as Rangers won 3-0 at Dundee United and clinched the league title. After not getting much playing time, Edu has been a regular in the starting line-up down the stretch and helped provide solid play in the midfield. The American will likely be back with Rangers and should be a regular starter in next season’s team. Edu has been called up for the World Cup Qualyfing in a few weeks.

Clint Dempsey (LM) – Fulham – English Premier League – Fulham struggled against Everton at home but held onto 7th place in the league and UEFA Europa League spot for next season. The team lost 0-2 as Dempsey had several shots in the game. The club has enjoyed a great season and Dempsey should be a part of next season’s team but could attract offers from other Premier League clubs.

Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League – Friedel started and played the full game for Villa who defeated Newcastle 1-0. The American goalkeeper had 4 saves and ended the season with 13 clean sheets. Friedel is likely to stay with Villa and after his retirement could lead the way for his back-up, fellow American Brad Guzan to take over the starting job.

Zak Whitbread (D) – Millwall – English League One Promotion Playoff Final – Whitbread started and played the full game Millwall who fell short against Scunthorpe 2-3. It was a disappointing loss but Whitbread has been rumored to have interest from Sunderland and Scottish side Rangers.

Jonathan Spector (RB) – West Ham United – English Premier League – Spector and West Ham defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 to cap the 2008/09 season as the American played the full game. After a string of injuries, Spector appears to be healthy and should get some playing time with the National Team during a busy summer schedule.

Michael Bradley (CM-L) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Bradley and Monchengladbach earned a 1-1 draw against Dortmund to avoid relegation. The season was mixed for Bradley as his form was inconsistent and Monchengladbach were in a battle to stay up the whole season. It is unknown if he will stay with the club as he has attracted interest from the other leagues.

Carlos Bocanegra (CB-L) – Stade Rennais (Rennes) – French Ligue 1 – Bocanegra started for Rennes but was in center defense after usually playing left-back for most of this season. The club defeated Lorient 3-1 and in striking distance for a Europa League spot. Bocanegra should play several games for the international side with WCQ and the Confederations Cup.

Oguchi Onyewu – (CB) – Standard Liege – Belgian Jupiler Pro League – Standard Liege played Anderlecht in a tie to determine the league championship and won 2-1 on aggregate. Onyewu has been a consistent starter and has thrived in the Belgian leagues but now will be moving on. His contract is up for Standard and several teams in Ligue 1 and the Premier League have been rumored to be interested.

Jeremiah White (MF) and Benny Feilhaber (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – White and Feilhaber started for AGF who beat Brondby 1-0 in the Danish League. Feilhaber was subbed out in the 66th minute while White played the full game. AGF is in the middle of the table with one game left in the season.

Michael Parkhurst (D) - FC Nordsjaelland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Parkhurst was a second half sub as Nordsjaelland had a 3-1 lead and held on for a 3-2 victory. The club is safe from relegation after a scare earlier in the season.

Marcus Tracy (ST) – Aalborg – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Aalborg drew 1-1 with Sonderjyske as Tracy played the full game. The club is in 7th place and has been disappointing after finishing first last season.

Danny Califf (D) - FC Midtjylland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Califf played the full game for Midtjylland who drew with Odense BK. The club is 4th in the league table and Califf should have a busy summer schedule with the National Team.

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Charlie Davies (ST) – Hammarby – Swedish Allsvenskan – Davies scored again for Hammarby as they won 1-0 against Malmo FF.  He scored the goal on a long ball which he controlled with a good first touch, then a great strike to beat the keeper. The win is only Hammarby’s second in 9 games.

Clint Dempsey (LM) – Fulham – English Premier League – Dempsey and Fulham defeated Newcastle 1-0 and solidified their 7th place with a great chance of playing the UEFA Europa League next season. The American has been a consistent player for Fulham and will probably remain with the club for next season.

Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – Howard made 3 saves as Everton moved into 5th place with a 3-1 victory against West Ham on Saturday. The great play of Howard has helped Everton as they will have a Europa League spot for next season and still have the FA Cup Final at the end of this month.

Jonathan Spector (D/MF) – West Ham United – English Premier League – Spector played the full second half but West Ham fell to Everton 1-3. The American received a yellow card and had no shots on goal. Now healthy, Spector should have a chance to earn regular playing time next season for the club.

Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League – Friedel made 2 saves as Villa came from behind to draw 1-1 with Middlesbrough. The club is in Europa League spot for next season and Friedel is likely to stay with the club after a solid season.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scottish Premier League – Edu got another start and played the full game for Rangers as they took the lead in the SPL with a 2-1 lead against Aberdeen. He had a shot on goal and has started several games in a row after sitting on the bench for most of the season. While fellow American DaMarcus Beasley has fallen out of favor with Rangers, Edu is starting to hit is stride with the club.

Michael Bradley (RCF) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Monchengladbach were dominated 5-0 by Bayer Leverkusen and the club is still 3 points clear of relegation with 1 game left. Bradley had a shot on goal but Leverkusen took control of the match and never let go. Any result next week will ensure Monchengladbach avoids relegation.

Carlos Bocanegra (LB) – Stade Rennais (Rennes) – French Ligue 1 – Bocanegra and Rennes drew with Nantes 1-1 on Sunday. He had one shot on goal and Rennes dominated possession 59-41 in the match. Bocanegra has had a good transition to Ligue 1 and has started and played every game this season.

Oguchi Onyewu (D) – Standard Liege – Belgian Jupiler Pro League – Onyewu and Standard won 1-0 against KAA Gent to finish 2nd in the Belgian Jupiler League. Onyewu will be moving onto another team as his contract with Standard Liege ends after this season and several teams from Ligue 1 and other divisions are interested.

Danny Califf (D) – FC Midtjylland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Califf played the full game as FC Midtjylland fell to Esbjerg 0-1. The club is currently 4th in the league table. Califf should have a busy summer with the National Team.

Benny Feilhaber (MF) and Jeremiah White (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – White played 67 minutes and Feilhaber played 23 minutes at AGF drew 1-1 with Randers FC. The club is currently 6th in the table.

Michael Parkhurst (D) – FC Nordsjælland – Danish SAS-Ligaen - FC Nordsjælland beat Vejle 4-1 and Parkhurst played the full game. The win puts the club at 31 points and avoids relegation for this season.

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Oguchi Onyewu (CB) – Standard Liege – Belgian Jupiler League – 1 goal – Onyewu started and played the full game for Standard Liege as they defeated Club Brugge 2-0 to remain tied with Anderlecht at the top of the Belgian Jupiler League Table. Onyewu scored a goal off a header from a free kick and has been in good form recently. His contract with Standard ends at the end of this season and will likely sign with a team in one of the top leagues during the summer transfer window.

Carlos Bocanegra (LB) – Stade Rennais – Coupe de France (French Cup) – 1 goal – Bocanegra and Rennes looked like they were on their way to winning the Coupe de France only to give up 2 late goals to Ligue 2 side Guingamp on Saturday. The American defender scored Rennes’ only goal to give them the lead in the 70th minute but Guingamp had 2 goals from Eduardo Dos Santos to win 2-1. Bocanegra’s goal came off a free kick where he headed it past the goalkeeper.

Clint Dempsey (LM) – Fulham – English Premier League – Dempsey played 86 minutes for Fulham as the defeated Aston Villa 3-1 and currently in 7th in the league table. He played a solid game and had one shot on goal that forced Friedel to make a good save.

Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League – Friedel and Villa lost 1-3 to Fulham as they were outplayed from the very beginning. He had 6 saves on the game and didn’t make any major mistakes as his team were outclassed for 90 minutes.  Aston Villa had clinched a Europa League spot for next season.

Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – It was an uneventful game for Howard who didn’t face any shots on goal and neither team was able to get anything going in a 0-0 draw. With 16 clean sheets in the Premier League this season, Howard has been one of the top goalkeepers.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scottish Premier League – Edu played the full game for Rangers as they defeated rivals Celtic to go top of the league table. The American has gotten significant playing time for the Scottish club recently and has taken advantage of the opportunity.

Zak Whitbread (D) – Millwall – English League One Promotion Play-offs – Whitbread and Millwall played a solid game in the first leg against Leeds United to earn a 1-0 victory.

Marcus Hahnemann (GK) – Reading – English Championship Promotion Play-offs – Burnley took a 1-0 lead on Reading in the first leg of the promotion play-off semifinals. Hahnemann made 5 saves but his defense let him down as Burnley’s goal came from a penalty kick converted by Graham Alexander. The second leg will be at Reading next week.

Michael Bradley (RM) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Monchengladbach appeared to not have things going their way when Marko Marin missed a penalty early but a late goal from Roberto Colautti gave the club a crucial 1-0 victory. Bradley started and played the full game at right midfield. With the victory, Monchengladbach are now safe from relegation but only on goal difference.

Sal Zizzo (ST) – Hannover 96 – German Bundesliga – Zizzo has received little playing time for Hannover but was a late substitute on Saturday’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt which ended in a 1-1 draw. He has now played in 5 games for the club in the Bundesliga this season.

Michael Parkhurst – FC Nordsjælland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Parkhurs played the full game as FC Nordsjælland fell to Copenhagen 1-3 and are only 5 points clear of relegation. With 4 games left, the team should be safe but needs a victory to assure they avoid relegation.

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