VIDEO: Kljestan Scores in Champions League Debut

It didn't take long for Sacha Kljestan to open his scoring account with Anderlecht, smashing home a loose ball in the 7th minute to open the scoring in the road leg of a third round Champions League tie against Welsh champions The New Saints. The Belgian giants would open up a 2-0 lead in the first half en route to a 3-1 victory, though it was not without a couple of stumbles along the way. Kljestan played 87 minutes and, apart from the goal, didn't make a whole lot of noise one way or the other during his time on the field. With that being said, there's no mistaking that this was a bright start to the midfielder's stint overseas.

After a breakout year in 2008 and a bright start to 2009 (namely the hat-trick against Sweden that led to all sorts of excitement), Kljestan dropped off significantly last year, eventually falling out of favor with the national team by summer's end and looking a far cry from the player that lit up the Home Depot Center with the Yanks just months before. Perhaps it was because an offseason transfer to Europe never materialized, or perhaps it was just a down year for a young player still trying to grow and develop in the professional game. Either way, there's no denying that 2009 was a pretty disappointing follow up to what was an attention-grabbing 2008.

But 2010 has been a lot kinder to the former Seton Hall Pirate, whose solid play with Chivas USA earned him his recent move abroad to the reigning Belgian champs; not a bad consolation prize after missing out on the final World Cup roster.  Could this change of scenery revive the 2008 Sacha that had us talking? Or will it just be more of the same: some flashes of skill and brilliance mixed in with some forgettable appearances. I'm inclined to think it's the former. 

If Oguchi Onyewu's time in Belgium is any indication of what's to come, the land of fruit-topped waffles should be the perfect place for Kljestan to fine-tune his abilities.  He'll face decent competition week in and week out in the league with European play in one form or another a likely possibility as well, providing a good environment to round out and refine his game.  And, perhaps most importantly, he'll get pushed for playing time by others on the roster, making consistent play a necessity for survival, let alone success. 

Instead of returning to Chivas USA as a known, established entity after failing to earn a move abroad (a situation that was ripe for a subsequent letdown/lack of motivation/foot-off-the-pedal situation in retrospect), Kljestan is now in a new league with a new team, where he has to prove himself all over again.  Hopefully this change of scenery and new challenge brings back some of that fire and flair that we've seen in years past. 

Scoring a goal in one's Champions League debut certainly is a good first step.