Chivas USA’s Sacha Kljestan has his own hair trigger

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When he banged in three goals for the U.S. against Sweden at the Home Depot Center a couple of weeks ago, Sacha Kljestan sported a look that had long been familiar to Chivas USA fans -- long, dark hair and a string headband. It was a look that separated him from the pack.

It was also a look he had while playing for the U.S. at the Olympic Games in China last year, and a look he sported when he went on a weeklong tryout with Celtic in Scotland last month.

On Wednesday, the U.S. plays Mexico in a World Cup qualifier here in Columbus, Ohio (it’s not freezing, by the way, so there is unlikely to be a repeat of the Guerra Fria of years gone by), and though Kljestan is here and is favored to start, or at least play, his hair failed to make the trip.

No sheep has been shorn shorter.

If it’s a ploy to fool the Mexicans, it won’t work. Hair or no hair, they are well aware of the talent possessed by and the danger posed by the 23-year-old midfielder from Huntington Beach. So what’s it all about then?

‘No reason, just sick of having long hair,’ Kljestan said.

But wasn’t that the whole Kljestan persona?

‘You’ve got to keep it changing; you’ve got to keep the fans wanting more.’

So are dreadlocks next, a la Cobi Jones?

‘I don’t think so, but we’ll see.’

Kljestan said that his training spell at Celtic was ‘pretty intense’ and that although it did not result in a move to the Scottish Premier League, he is happy to remain with Chivas USA for the time being. ‘I’m fine here, it’s Los Angeles, I can’t complain,’ he said. ‘I’m ready to try to win my first championships this year.’

But first comes Mexico -- and perhaps another three goals?

‘That would be a real dream come true. That would be really special. But more important, three points instead of three goals would be great. In my first taste of USA-Mexico, I’m hoping to get a win.

‘I’m excited to play in Columbus because I’ve seen the games on TV that we’ve played in Columbus against Mexico and it’s always a great crowd, very inspiring, so I’m excited to hopefully play in that game.’

The game (4 p.m. Pacific, ESPN2 and Univision) is the first of 10 qualifiers this year for the U.S. as it sets about reaching the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

It will be winter in the Southern Hemisphere then, and some hair would come in handy.

-- Grahame L. Jones

Photo (left): Sacha Kljestan as he looks now. Credit: Chivas USA
Photo (right): Kjelstan as he looked in a game last month at Home Depot Center. Credit: Victor Decolongon / Getty Images