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Albert Rusnák (footballer, born 1994)

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Albert Rusnák (born 7 July 1994) is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and central midfielder for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC and the Slovakia national team.

Albert Rusnák
Rusnák with Real Salt Lake in 2021
Personal information
Full name Albert Rusnák[1]
Date of birth (1994-07-07) 7 July 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Vyškov, Czech Republic[2]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Seattle Sounders FC
Number 11
Youth career
KAC Košice[2]
1997–2010 Košice
2010–2013 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Manchester City 0 (0)
2013 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 3 (0)
2014 → Birmingham City (loan) 4 (0)
2014 → Cambuur (loan) 17 (4)
2015–2017 Groningen 71 (10)
2017–2021 Real Salt Lake 140 (41)
2022– Seattle Sounders FC 90 (16)
International career‡
2011 Slovakia U17 6 (2)
2011–2013 Slovakia U19 6 (2)
2013–2017 Slovakia U21 12 (3)
2016– Slovakia 37 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:37, 8 September 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:08, 10 June 2022 (UTC)

Club career

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Manchester City

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Rusnák played youth football in Slovakia for MFK Košice from a very young age, before signing for Manchester City in July 2010,[3] where he joined the club's reserve side.

Loan to Oldham Athletic

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After three years of youth and reserve-team football, he signed for Football League One side Oldham Athletic on loan.[4] Rusnák made his first senior appearance as a 63rd-minute substitute for Jonson Clarke-Harris in a league game against Tranmere Rovers on 31 August 2013, in a match that they lost 0–1 at Boundary Park.[5] His first start came three days later, in a 4–1 away Football League Trophy win over Shrewsbury Town.[6] On 17 September, Rusnák's loan was cut short and he returned to City after Rusnak reported refused to play in a reserve team match against Port Vale.[7]

Loan to Birmingham City

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On 21 January 2014, Rusnák joined Football League Championship (second-tier) club Birmingham City on a month's youth loan.[8] He went straight into the starting eleven for the FA Cup fourth round defeat to Swansea City the following Saturday.[9] On 18 February 2014, Rusnák extended his loan spell until the conclusion of the 2013–14 season.[10]

Loan to SC Cambuur

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On 25 July 2014, Rusnák moved to Dutch Eredivisie club SC Cambuur on loan until January.[11] He became a key part of the team, scoring in a 3–0 win over local rivals FC Groningen and having his loan extended until the end of the season.[12] Earlier in the season, in another local derby at SC Heerenveen, he gave the ball away from kick-off, resulting in a penalty being awarded after nine seconds, but Cambuur fought back for a 2–2 draw.[12]

FC Groningen

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With his Manchester City contract due to expire in the summer of 2015,[12] Rusnák moved on a three-year contract to Groningen on 18 December 2014.[13] On 3 May 2015, he scored both goals in the KNVB Cup final as they defeated reigning champions PEC Zwolle to win their first major trophy and qualify for the UEFA Europa League.[14]

Real Salt Lake

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On 6 January 2017, Rusnák joined Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer in time for the 2017 season. The terms of the move were undisclosed. He wore the number 11 shirt last worn by Javier Morales.[15] He finished his debut MLS season with 14 assists, good for fourth-best in the league. Rusnák then hit the 10-goal mark in both his second and third seasons with RSL.

Rusnák's contract with Salt Lake expired following the 2021 season,[16] and he officially announced he would not return to the club on 8 January 2022.[17]

Seattle Sounders FC

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On 13 January 2022, Rusnák signed with Seattle Sounders FC as the club's third Designated Player.[18] He helped the team win the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, scoring in the first leg of the semifinals against New York City FC.[19] Rusnák played mainly as a central midfielder in tandem with various partners due to injuries to Obed Vargas and João Paulo. The Sounders ended the season by missing the MLS Cup Playoffs—a first in franchise history.[20]

On 10 November 2023, playing his more natural attacking midfielder role in the MLS Cup Playoffs, Rusnak scored the only goal in 1-0 home win in game 3 of Round One against FC Dallas. The goal was his second in the best-of-three series.

Rusnák recorded his first MLS hat-trick on 7 September 2024 against the Columbus Crew, who played with an outfield player in goal for the second half. He scored in the stoppage time of the first half after the switch and added two goals in the second half of the 4–0 win.[21]

International career

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Being able to represent the Czech Republic due to being born there, nonetheless Rusnák made his debut for Slovakia on 15 November 2016, in the last friendly fixture for the year, against Austria, in a goal-less tie in Vienna, coming on as a substitute in the 46th minute for Jakub Holúbek.[citation needed]

In 2017, he kept receiving invitations to all fixtures, except for matches against Uganda and Sweden in Abu Dhabi, where league players were selected. In that year he made appearances in five of six qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, even earning a spot in the starting 11 in the last match in the group stage against Malta, where he also assisted Ondrej Duda's goal.[citation needed]

Rusnák scored his first international goal in his ninth cap, with a right-foot shot, in the 42nd minute of the first international match of 2018, a semi-final fixture against UAE, at the 2018 King's Cup. He was assisted by a pass from Patrik Hrošovský.[22]

Personal life

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Rusnák's father, also called Albert Rusnák, is himself a former professional footballer and manager who became a scout at Manchester City in 2010, taking his son to the club.[12]

Style of play

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Rusnák struggled while playing in the Football League, due to the style of play rewarding taller and physically stronger players.[12] His manager at Cambuur, Henk de Jong, noted how his style of play being better suited for a playmaker role rather than his position on the wing in England.[12]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 7 September 2024[23][24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Manchester City 2013–14[9] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Oldham Athletic (loan) 2013–14[9] League One 2 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 3 0
Birmingham City (loan) 2013–14[9] Championship 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
SC Cambuur (loan) 2014–15 Eredivisie 17 4 0 0 — — 17 4
Groningen 2014–15[25] Eredivisie 16 3 3 3 — — 19 6
2015–16[26] 28 3 2 0 6[b] 0 1[c] 0 37 3
2016–17 13 1 2 0 — — 15 1
Total 57 7 7 3 6 0 1 0 71 10
Real Salt Lake 2017 Major League Soccer 30 7 0 0 — — 30 7
2018 31 10 0 0 — 2[d] 1 33 11
2019 29 10 0 0 — 1[d] 0 30 10
2020 16[e] 3 0 0 — 1[f] 0 17 3
2021 34 11 0 0 — 2[d] 0 31 10
Total 140 41 0 0 0 0 6 1 146 42
Seattle Sounders FC 2022 Major League Soccer 32 3 0 0 8[g] 1 — 40 4
2023 32 5 0 0 — 7[h] 2 38 7
2024 26 8 2 0 — 5[i] 1 33 9
Total 90 16 2 0 8 1 12 3 112 20
Career total 287 64 10 3 14 1 19 4 329 72
  1. ^ Appearance in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  4. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in MLS Cup Playoffs
  5. ^ Includes two appearances in MLS is Back Tournament group stage
  6. ^ Appearance in MLS is Back Tournament knockout stage
  7. ^ Appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League
  8. ^ Includes FIFA Club World Cup, Leagues Cup, and MLS Cup Playoffs.
  9. ^ Includes Leagues Cup.

International

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Scores and results list Slovakia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rusnák goal.
List of international goals scored by Albert Rusnák[27]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 22 March 2018 Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand   United Arab Emirates 1–0 2–1 2018 King's Cup
2 5 September 2018 Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia   Denmark 2–0 3–0 Friendly
3 16 October 2018 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden   Sweden 1–1 1–1 Friendly
4 16 November 2018 Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia   Ukraine 1–0 4–1 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B
5 21 March 2019 Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia   Hungary 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
6 14 November 2021 National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta   Malta 1–0 6–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 3–0

Honours

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FC Groningen

Seattle Sounders FC

Slovakia

References

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  1. ^ "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/02/2014 and 28/02/2014". The Football Association. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Predstavujeme Alberta Rusnáka + VIDEO" (in Slovak). ifotbal.edu. 4 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  3. ^ "City seal Slovak deal". Sky Sports. 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Manchester City: Albert Rusnak joins Oldham Athletic on loan". BBC Sport. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Oldham 0–1 Tranmere". BBC Sport. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  6. ^ "Shrewsbury 1–4 Oldham". BBC Sport. 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  7. ^ Keegan, Mike (18 September 2013). "Youngster back at City after Oldham snub". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Albert Rusnak wings in to Blues". Birmingham City F.C. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  9. ^ a b c d "Games played by Albert Rusnak in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  10. ^ "Loan extensions for Huws and Rusnak". Birmingham City FC. 18 February 2014. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  11. ^ Bajkowski, Simon (25 July 2014). "Rusnak moves on loan to SC Cambuur". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Yokhin, Michael (4 November 2014). "Man City loanee Albert Rusnak takes Netherlands by storm at Cambuur". ESPN. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  13. ^ "FC Groningen contracteert Albert Rusnak" [FC Groningen sign Albert Rusnák] (in Dutch). FC Groningen. 18 December 2014. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  14. ^ "Groningen claim first trophy with KNVB Cup triumph". Goal.com. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  15. ^ Montgomery, Matt (6 January 2017). "Official: Real Salt Lake signs Albert Rusnák". www.rslsoapbox.com. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  16. ^ "Real Salt Lake Announces 2022 Roster Decisions | Real Salt Lake".
  17. ^ "Albert Rusnak announces departure from Real Salt Lake". MLS Soccer. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Sounders FC signs free agent Albert Rusnák as Designated Player" (Press release). Seattle Sounders FC. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  19. ^ Krasnoo, Ryan (25 April 2022). "Albert Rusnák's new role in midfield bringing out the best in teammates in CCL play". SoundersFC.com. Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  20. ^ Evans, Jayda (3 November 2022). "Albert Rusnak reflects on up and down first season with Sounders: 'We're disappointed'". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  21. ^ Hamm, Harrison (7 September 2024). "Albert Rusnák picks apart short-handed Crew in Seattle romp". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Rusnák pohľadom oklamal brankára, ale Slováci v závere spanikárili". sport.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  23. ^ Albert Rusnák at Soccerway. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  24. ^ "Players: Albert Rusnák". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Games played by Albert Rusnak for FC Groningen in 2014/2015". FCG Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  26. ^ "Games played by Albert Rusnak in 2015/2016". FCG Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  27. ^ "Rusnák, Albert". National Football Teams. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
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