RSL Internationals Take Center Stage with Home Countries

While most of Major League Soccer, including Real Salt Lake is enjoying a brief hiatus from league competition, midfielder Albert Rusnak joins a select group of internationals seeking to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with their home countries. 

Attempting to qualify for their second major tournament in as many years, Rusnak and Slovakia are preparing for another round of matches in UEFA Qualification against Croatia and Russia. 

Slovakia will face Russia tomorrow, October 8 at 12:45 p.m. MT and Croatia on Monday, October 11 at 12:45 p.m. MT. Both matches can be seen via the streaming service ESPN+.

Competing in Group H, Slovakia will need to finish in the top spot in order to earn automatic qualification, while the second-place team in the group of six will advance to the play-off round. Currently, Slovakia sits in third place, ahead of Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia but behind Croatia and Russia. With both games against opponents higher than them in the table, wins will give Slovakia the chance to catapult themselves to the top of the standings.

Through six games Slovakia has earned a record of 2-3-1 with four games remaining. Slovakia has not qualified for the World Cup since 2010 when they made it all the way to the Round of 16. 

With Slovakia, Rusnák has scored five goals in 32 appearances in addition to helping his country qualify for the 2020 UEFA European Championship.

Additionally, goalkeeper David Ochoa be competing with the U21 Mexico National Team in two friendlies in Marbella Spain as part of a week-long training camp. 

Mexico will take on Romania on October 9 and Sweden on October 11, both at the Marbella Football Center.  

This is the first time Ochoa has been selected to represent Mexico at the U21 level since electing to represent the “El Tri” on the international stage.