RENTON, WASH. – Sounders FC midfielder Albert Rusnák has been voted Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for Matchday 31 of the 2024 MLS season. Rusnák recorded his first career hat trick in Saturday’s 4-0 road victory over the Columbus Crew, as the Rave Green jumped to fifth in the Western Conference. Following the performance, Rusnák is tied for second on Sounders FC with eight goals this season, also leading the club with 12 assists (tied for fourth in MLS).
Rusnák opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time, stepping up to a direct free kick perfectly around the wall and into the side netting. After Jordan Morris doubled the lead in the 60th minute, Rusnák made it 3-0 just seven minutes later with a low-driven shot that snuck inside the near post. The 30-year-old attacking midfielder completed his hat trick in the 70th minute with a one-time effort that flew into the top corner of the net.
Saturday marked the ninth hat trick in club history for Sounders FC (MLS regular season), and the first since Morris’ four-goal performance last season. It was Seattle’s third all-time hat trick recorded against Columbus, joining Lamar Neagle on August 27, 2011 and Blaise Nkufo on September 18, 2010. Rusnák is the seventh player in club history to record a hat trick in MLS regular-season play (Morris, Clint Dempsey, Fredy Montero, David Estrada, Neagle, Nkufo).
Rusnák is the second Seattle player to be named MLS Player of the Matchday this season, joining Raúl Ruidíaz (Matchday 8). This is the second time that Rusnák has earned the honor in his career after previously doing so seven years ago for Real Salt Lake on Matchday 6 of 2017.
Seattle returns to the Emerald City for a pivotal late-season homestand. In the first of three Western Conference matches in a row at Lumen Field, Seattle takes to the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch on Sunday, September 15 against longtime foe Sporting Kansas City (4:15 p.m. PT / Apple TV – Watch Free, FS1, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).
The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
