Ahead of the official opening of preseason Wednesday at The Home Depot Center, Chivas USA announced Tuesday that it has signed Canadian international defender Ante Jazic to a new contract. The MLS rights to Jazic, a three-year veteran of the league, were acquired by Chivas USA on Jan. 15 in a draft-day trade with the LA Galaxy, where the left-sided player made 44 regular-season appearances (41 starts) from 2006-2008. Per league and team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
"Ante Jazic's versatility and international experience make him a great addition to our squad. Ante can play in the back and in midfield and gives us added depth on the left side. We look forward to his contributions to Chivas USA in 2009," said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki.
Born Feb. 26, 1976, Jazic grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada and began his professional career with Croatian side NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac from 1997-1999, before moving to Hajduk Split, where he won two Croatian First Division titles, in 1999 and 2000. Before arriving at the Galaxy, Jazic also played for Rapid Vienna in Austria and Kuban Kraznodor in Russia. Since making his debut for the Canadian National Team in 1998, he has earned 25 caps, scoring one goal.
From 2006 to 2008, Jazic played in 44 regular-season games with the Galaxy, including five Super Clásicos against intra-stadium rivals Chivas USA. Should Jazic take the field for the Red-and-White against his former team, he would become just the second player in Super Clásico history to feature in the Los Angeles derby for each of the two Southland rivals, following the footsteps of current Chivas USA midfielder Paulo Nagamura, who was a member of the Galaxy from 2005-2006.
Chivas USA kicks off its fifth campaign in Major League Soccer when its hosts the Colorado Rapids in an Opening Day match on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. For more information on Chivas USA season tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.
