It took a span of roughly 90 seconds on Saturday for Albert Rusnák to etch his name deeper into Major League Soccer history.
The Seattle Sounders attacking midfielder assisted Jackson Ragen’s goal on a corner kick in the 54th minute before hammering home a ball from a couple feet out in the 55th minute to reverse a 1-0 Sounders deficit into a 2-1 lead over the Vancouver Whitecaps. In doing so, Rusnák became just the second active player (Diego Fagúndez) and 13th player overall in MLS history to record 70 goals and 70 assists.
The 31-year-old Slovakian international joined Seattle from Real Salt Lake in a blockbuster Free Agency move ahead of the 2022 season and picked up right where he left off in Utah. Rusnák recorded 41 goals and 39 assists in five seasons with RSL and now has 29 goals and 31 assists in four years in Rave Green.
Rusnák started against Vancouver and went 90 minutes for the first time since he injured his hamstring on Aug. 6 in a Leagues Cup match against Club Tijuana, and his return to the starting lineup is a positive sign as the Sounders gear up for yet another postseason run.
“It’s great to have him back,” Ragen said of Rusnák. “He’s making a lot of key passes, and we want to get him the ball as much as possible so he can open up the game for us.”
Rusnák’s numbers in Seattle perhaps aren’t even as high as they could be, considering that he’s spent a decent amount of time over the last four years playing deeper in central midfield and on the wing, rather than his preferred attacking central midfield role. But his team-first approach has helped lead the Sounders to new heights, capturing both the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup and 2025 Leagues Cup titles since his arrival.
“I love what [Rusnák] said in the press the other day, ‘I’ll play wherever the team needs me,’” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “[Saturday] was a step forward for him to get 90 minutes under his belt and play with a lot of intensity and a lot of leadership.”
The Sounders ultimately drew the Whitecaps 2-2 and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with three regular season matches remaining. A massive home date with the rival Portland Timbers looms this coming Saturday (7:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV | TICKETS).
The Sounders are hoping to get the best out of Rusnák for the home stretch and potentially make it a trophy double this year.
“You can score two goals in less than five minutes, but there are still some things that we have to fix, going into the playoffs especially,” said Rusnák. “It was a competitive game and almost had the feeling of a playoff match.”
