RENTON, Wash. – When it comes to preseason training, Albert Rusnák would rather skip it.
“I hate preseason, I’m not going to lie,” Rusnák said after Day 2 of Seattle Sounders training camp on Tuesday. In addition to small-sided games and drills, the players ran sprints and were led through resistance exercises at their facility .
“It’s all about running,” Rusnák continued. “I guess for this month, we’ll have to stick with it.”
Rusnák’s feelings didn’t impact his approach to his fourth season in Seattle.
The midfielder re-signed a designated player contract with the club earlier this month and said he’s healthy after a hip injury limited him during the Sounders’ postseason run last year. Rusnák said the issue won’t require surgery; instead he’s following a regimen that could include cortisone injections, if needed.
“(It) probably won’t just go away,” Rusnák said. “In the offseason I did a good job of taking care of it, doing treatments and it’s feeling a lot better now. It almost feels like nothing’s wrong with it.”
Rusnák, 30, finished last season with the best stats in his career. He set a club record for assists in a single season with 19, through all competitions. His 30 goal contributions (11 goals) tied Oba Martins’ mark set in 2014.
The Slovakian ranked third in MLS in regular-season assists (16) and was in the top 10 in key passes (84), corner kicks (129) and winning assists (five).
Rusnák’s play helped the Sounders (16-9-9) finish fourth in Western Conference standings and seventh in the league’s Supporters’ Shield race – earning Seattle a 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup berth.
But he was absent during the playoffs, in part because of the injury. Rusnák didn’t log a goal or assist as the team advanced to the conference final, losing 1-0 to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park in November. The Galaxy won the MLS Cup.
Rusnák did score a penalty kick during a shootout in Game 1 of Seattle’s opening-round sweep against Houston. He missed Game 2 due to the hip injury and subbed off in the 70th minute against the Galaxy with a similar issue.
“We were close last year in so many different (competitions),” Rusnák said of also reaching the U.S. Open Cup semifinals and Leagues Cup quarterfinals. “Close is not good enough. Winning something this year is a good goal to have.”
Players spoke openly last year about their need to score, totaling 51 goals during the MLS regular season. Sounders general manager Craig Waibel added two players from FC Dallas who could help in the attack in forward Jesús Ferreira and winger Paul Arriola.
Ferreira is training with the U.S. men’s national team in Florida and is expected to report to the Sounders after the USMNT’s friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday.
“They were big pieces for Dallas for many years,” Rusnák said of the pair that combined for 10 goals and 15 assists last season. “Paul’s a more experienced, older guy and Jesús, still in his young age, has done a lot in MLS and scored a lot of goals. They’re both positive signings for us and players that will help us in terms of creating and scoring goals.”
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer is also considering a formation change to boost offensive production – making training a necessity.
The team departs Sunday for an approximate two-week camp in Marbella, Spain, where they’ll play at least two European clubs.
This is the third time Seattle has used the training grounds in Spain.
“Whatever the formation will be, it’s for us to have success,” Rusnák said. “Whether that means me, or a couple of other guys have to slightly change their roles or get used to the system, this is why we’re doing preseason for a month and play four or five scrimmage games. This is the time to try it out.”
Seattle will open a congested 2025 schedule with a Champions Cup match against Antigua GFC on Feb. 19 at Estadio Pensativo in Guatemala.
The MLS season opener is Feb. 22 against Charlotte at Lumen Field.
The Sounders are also playing in the FIFA men’s Club World Cup. They open group-stage play against Brazilian side Botafogo June 15 at Lumen.
“All the different competitions that we’re in, they all will require something else,” Rusnák said. “Playing (French side) PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) at home here in Seattle or going down to Guatemala and playing there, those are two very different games.”
In looking at the schedule, Rusnák found an immediate positive.
“I’m just happy that we have so many games so there’s less time to train,” he said. “The games are going to come so fast that’s it’s going to be game, re-gen, light training, game. That’s everyone’s dream. We don’t want to be here for an hour and a half every day.”