Layton product thrilled to be picked by Chivas

Like many other soccer aficionados in Utah, Kyle Christensen watched live coverage of the MLS SuperDraft for the hour that it was on ESPN2 Thursday afternoon and then checked back a little later to see how subsequent rounds of the draft had unfolded.

There was just one little difference, however, between Christensen's draft experience Thursday and every other Utahn's: When Christensen scanned the list of draftees later in the day, he noticed his name staring back at him.

Christensen, a forward who starred at Layton High School six years ago, was selected by Chivas USA in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft Thursday afternoon (35th overall) and will join a Goats' side that already includes Utahn Justin Braun, a Skyline High grad.

"I was kind of thinking I might not get drafted," said Christensen, who participated in a mini-combine back in December but did not attend the full-scale MLS Combine last weekend. "I saw my name, ad I was like, 'Wow.' I was really surprised. I've always dreamed of playing professional soccer."

Christensen joins Todd Miller (Columbus Crew in 1996) as the only two Utahns to be drafted by MLS.

Unlike Braun, who enjoyed considerable success at the prep and club levels but came out of nowhere — relatively speaking — to make it in Major League Soccer a season ago, Christensen is known in youth-soccer circles as one of the brightest talents — if not the brightest — that Utah has ever produced.

Christensen enjoyed a phenomenal prep career at Layton High and was named the 2003 Deseret News 5A MVP after leading the Lancers to a state title in his senior season.

Christensen scored arguably the most famous goal in Utah prep soccer history that season when he scored from the halfway line to start the second half of Layton's championship-game victory over Viewmont.

Following high school, Christensen played soccer for four years at the University of Denver, with a two-year LDS mission to Argentina sandwiched in between.

Now he finds himself in the position of trying to do something that Braun has already done: Make Chivas' roster.

Christensen said his focus will be simple when he goes to Chivas' preseason camp this winter.

"I wanna prove that I belong there," he said.

Considering that Braun has already made it in the MLS and that Christensen has now been drafted in MLS, however, this much seems clear: Utah soccer is on the rise.

"It shows that Utah's throwing some talent out there," said Christensen. "I know there's some young kids that are doing well. Coaching has gotten better ... There's definitely hope for us Utah players."

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E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com