From Man City to Seattle Sounders, here’s what defines Albert Rusnak's career | OneFootball

Rusnak was born in Slovakia, but as a teenager, he moved to England and played with the back up team for Manchester City.

He was loaned out to several teams and it was decided that Albert wasn't large enough to be an outside attacker, but he should instead emphasize his ability to set up teammates. His position was in flux when he started for the Sounders, which is perhaps why it has taken the fans a while to warm up to him.

He praises his teammates as being supportive like a family and has settled into the attacking midfielder position. When interviewed, Albert explained that he didn't want to be a player that bounced from one team to the next, and that he would prefer to stay with a team and help them grow and improve.

He divulged that the goal for the team this year was to score more goals and that he was excited to see their improvement this season.

From Man City to Seattle Sounders, here’s what defines Albert Rusnak's career

What does Rusnak contribute to the Sounders? Rusnak is a skilled technical player. He takes corner kicks and penalty kicks when the opportunities present themselves.

He has performed well in the clutch and is a critical element getting the ball from the back line or midfielders and setting up the Sounders' attack. He has developed a signature shot which involves waiting until the defender separates his feet and using that gap to drive the ball into the back corner of the net.

His understanding of the game and the team's intention to build an attack, he is able to use his knowledge and skill to set up teammates in advantageous positions, which so far this year has been paying off.

By the numbers:

Over his career, Rusnak has scored 90 goals and 61 assists in 402 matches. He has made 261 of those appearances in the MLS. For the Sounders, he as scored 28 goals and has 28 assists in 134 games.

All 7 of his goals in his second season (2023) were game winners for Seattle making him a clutch performer. He has made 38 international appearances for Slovakia and has scored 6 goals. He could have chosen to play for the Czech Republic, but he opted to play for Slovakia instead.

Seattle Sounders FC, CONCACAF Champions League: 2022

Slovakia, King's Cup: 2018

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