Sacha Kljestan made an eleventh-hour push for the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target last night, recording his first Orlando City brace while playing a new position and wearing the captain’s armband in the Lions’ 3-1 U.S. Open Cup win over Memphis 901 FC. It was a vintage Kljestan game, the kind the Anaheim native and USMNT veteran had become known for across a sterling 15-year career.
Kljestan has operated almost exclusively as a No. 10 since returning to MLS from Belgium in 2015, meaning he plays as the fulcrum of the attacking midfield. This was where he thrived with the New York Red Bulls, claiming back-to-back MLS assist crowns and making the MLS All-Star team in 2016.