Robbie Kruse
Encyclopedia
Robbie Thomas Kruse is an Australian football (soccer) player who currently plays as a forward for German side Fortuna Düsseldorf
in the 2. Bundesliga
and the Australian national team. He began his career with A-League
sides Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory before moving to Fortuna.
, Kruse was injured during an otherwise successful Hyundai A-League preseason during training. He scored on debut against on 5 October 2007, his nineteenth birthday, with what was to be the winning goal for that game.
On 19 October 2007, Kruse struck against the Newcastle Jets for his second goal of his A-League career. On 16 November, he got his third with an excellent curling effort to the far post as Queensland beat Melbourne 1–0.
Kruse and his close friend Michael Zullo formed a good partnership with each playing either side of a striker in a three-man attack for Queensland which coincided with a seven match unbeaten streak.
Kruse's place in Roar's starting line-up was in jeopardy at the beginning of the 2008 A-league season after he was involved in an altercation outside a Queensland nightspot. The fight resulted in Kruse needing stitches and the then-19-year-old incurring the wrath of club coach Frank Farina.
Kruse made his first appearance for the Victory on 13 September 2009 against Wellington Phoenix after replacing Ney Fabiano at the 58th minute. He scored his first goal for the Victory in the 4–0 demolition of Gold Coast United on 28 November 2009.
A highlight of Kruse's professional career was when he scored a first half hat trick on 16 January 2010 against the Perth Glory. The Victory went on to win 6–2 as the Glory had no answer for Kruse's pace and well timed runs. His fifth goal came against Sydney FC in the major semi final when struck a curling shot which left Sydney FC keeper Clint Bolton
no chance as it tore in to the top right corner. His sixth goal for Melbourne came against Gold Coast United when he rounded goalkeeper and former teammate Glen Moss
to slide the ball into the open net.
At Victory, Kruse was known for turning his career around through his development and change of attitude, no longer getting caught up in off-field incidents like he did whilst in Brisbane, and taking his footballing potential much more seriously.
on a three year contract beginning with the 2011–12 season. He made his competitive debut for the club on 24 July 2011 in a league match against SC Paderborn 07
, making a substitute appearance in the second half.
Kruse was selected in the Australian national team's 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup. On 5 January 2011, he made his Socceroos debut, coming off the bench against UAE
in a pre-Asian Cup
friendly match. On 25 January 2011, Kruse scored his first international goal, in a 6–0 victory over Uzbekistan
in the semi final of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
. In the final of the competition, Kruse made a substitute appearance and almost scored a header with his first touch of the ball. Australia lost the final 1–0 in extra time.
Kruse scored his second international goal in a friendly match against Wales
on 10 August 2011, which Australia won 2–1.
1 – includes A-League
final series statistics
2 – includes FIFA Club World Cup
statistics; AFC Champions League
statistics are included in season commencing after group stages (i.e. ACL and A-League seasons etc.)
Fortuna Düsseldorf
' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...
in the 2. Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
and the Australian national team. He began his career with A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
sides Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory before moving to Fortuna.
Brisbane Roar
Recruited in 2006 by Miron BleibergMiron Bleiberg
Miron Bleiberg is an Israeli-Australian football manager, currently the head coach and director of football operations at A-League club Gold Coast United.-Biography:...
, Kruse was injured during an otherwise successful Hyundai A-League preseason during training. He scored on debut against on 5 October 2007, his nineteenth birthday, with what was to be the winning goal for that game.
On 19 October 2007, Kruse struck against the Newcastle Jets for his second goal of his A-League career. On 16 November, he got his third with an excellent curling effort to the far post as Queensland beat Melbourne 1–0.
Kruse and his close friend Michael Zullo formed a good partnership with each playing either side of a striker in a three-man attack for Queensland which coincided with a seven match unbeaten streak.
Kruse's place in Roar's starting line-up was in jeopardy at the beginning of the 2008 A-league season after he was involved in an altercation outside a Queensland nightspot. The fight resulted in Kruse needing stitches and the then-19-year-old incurring the wrath of club coach Frank Farina.
Melbourne Victory
Kruse was linked to a move to reigning A-league premiers Melbourne Victory following the departure of Melbourne striker Danny Allsopp to Qatar club Al-Rayyan. On 10 September 2009, it was confirmed that Kruse had left the Roar for Melbourne Victory.Kruse made his first appearance for the Victory on 13 September 2009 against Wellington Phoenix after replacing Ney Fabiano at the 58th minute. He scored his first goal for the Victory in the 4–0 demolition of Gold Coast United on 28 November 2009.
A highlight of Kruse's professional career was when he scored a first half hat trick on 16 January 2010 against the Perth Glory. The Victory went on to win 6–2 as the Glory had no answer for Kruse's pace and well timed runs. His fifth goal came against Sydney FC in the major semi final when struck a curling shot which left Sydney FC keeper Clint Bolton
Clint Bolton
Clint Brian Bolton is an Australian football player who plays as a goalkeeper for Melbourne Heart in the Australian A-League. He was one of the most experienced goalkeepers in the history of the National Soccer League, which preceded the A-League...
no chance as it tore in to the top right corner. His sixth goal for Melbourne came against Gold Coast United when he rounded goalkeeper and former teammate Glen Moss
Glen Moss
Glen Moss is a New Zealand association football goalkeeper who currently plays for A-League club Gold Coast United, and has represented New Zealand at international level.-Return to the A-League:...
to slide the ball into the open net.
At Victory, Kruse was known for turning his career around through his development and change of attitude, no longer getting caught up in off-field incidents like he did whilst in Brisbane, and taking his footballing potential much more seriously.
Fortuna Düsseldorf
Following his form for the Victory, Kruse signed with German side Fortuna DüsseldorfFortuna Düsseldorf
' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...
on a three year contract beginning with the 2011–12 season. He made his competitive debut for the club on 24 July 2011 in a league match against SC Paderborn 07
SC Paderborn 07
SC Paderborn 07 is a German association football club based in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the 2. Bundesliga.-History:...
, making a substitute appearance in the second half.
International career
On 28 December 2010, following his impressive level of play in the A-LeagueA-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
Kruse was selected in the Australian national team's 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup. On 5 January 2011, he made his Socceroos debut, coming off the bench against UAE
United Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...
in a pre-Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...
friendly match. On 25 January 2011, Kruse scored his first international goal, in a 6–0 victory over Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan national football team
The Uzbekistan national football team represents Uzbekistan in association football and is controlled by the Uzbekistan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Uzbekistan...
in the semi final of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...
. In the final of the competition, Kruse made a substitute appearance and almost scored a header with his first touch of the ball. Australia lost the final 1–0 in extra time.
Kruse scored his second international goal in a friendly match against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 10 August 2011, which Australia won 2–1.
| International appearances and goals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Goals | Competition |
| 2011 | ||||||
| 1. | 5 January 2011 | Al Ain Al Ain Al Ain |Spring]]), also known as the Garden City due to its greenery, is the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates. With a population of 374,000 , it is located approximately 160 km east of the capital Abu Dhabi and about... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... |
0–0 | 0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 18 January 2011 | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |
1–0 | 0 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup 2011 AFC Asian Cup The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup... |
|
| 3. | 25 January 2011 | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |
6–0 | 1 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup 2011 AFC Asian Cup The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup... |
|
| 4. | 29 January 2011 | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |
0–1 | 0 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup 2011 AFC Asian Cup The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup... |
|
| 5. | 29 March 2011 | Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
2–1 | 0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 6. | 5 June 2011 | Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
3–0 | 0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 7. | 7 June 2011 | Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
0–0 | 0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 8. | 10 August 2011 | Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
2–1 | 1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League1 | Cup | International2 | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 2006–07 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 6 | |
| 2008–09 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 5 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 A-League The 2010–11 A-League season is the sixth season of the Australian football championship since its establishment in 2004. The home and away season began on 5 August 2010 and concluded on 13 February 2011. The addition of brought the total number of teams to 11... |
19 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 11 | |
| Fortuna Düsseldorf Fortuna Düsseldorf ' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga... |
2011–12 2011–12 2. Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 2. Fußball-Bundesliga is the 38th season of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's second tier of its football league system. The season commenced on 15 July 2011, three weeks earlier than the 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga season, and will end with the last games on 6 May 2012... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 67 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 86 | 23 | |
1 – includes A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
final series statistics
2 – includes FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
statistics; AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
statistics are included in season commencing after group stages (i.e. ACL and A-League seasons etc.)
Honours
Personal Honours:- Melbourne VictoryMelbourne VictoryMelbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
Young Player of the Year: 2009–10