Robbie Kruse

Robbie Kruse

Kruse with the Socceroos in 2013.
Personal information
Full nameRobbie Thomas Kruse
Date of birth5 October 1988
Place of birthBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionForward / Winger
Club information
Current team
Bayer Leverkusen
Number23
Youth career
2004–2005QAS
2005–2006AIS
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2007–2009Brisbane Roar26(4)
2009–2011Melbourne Victory39(16)
2011–2013Fortuna Düsseldorf41(4)
2013–Bayer Leverkusen19(2)
National team‡
2004–2005Australia U1711(3)
2006Australia U205(0)
2011–Australia38(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 December 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 January 2015

Robbie Thomas Kruse (born 5 October 1988) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Australian national team. He began his career with A-League sides Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory before moving to Germany in 2011.

Club career

Brisbane Roar

Recruited in 2006 by Miron Bleiberg, Kruse was injured during an otherwise successful Hyundai A-League preseason during training.[1] He scored on his debut against Wellington Phoenix on 5 October 2007, his nineteenth birthday, with what was to be the winning goal for that game.[2][3]

On 19 October 2007, Kruse struck against the Newcastle Jets for his second goal of his A-League career.[4] On 16 November, he got his third with an excellent curling effort to the far post as Brisbane beat Melbourne 1–0.[5]

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 Brisbane which coincided with a seven match unbeaten streak.[6]

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.[7][8]

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.[9] On 10 September 2009, it was confirmed that Kruse had left the Roar for Melbourne Victory.[10]

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.[11] 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.

He was the first player to score a brace in a Melbourne derby, helping Victory to a 3–1 win over their rivals Melbourne Heart in December 2010.

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

Kruse playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2012.

Following his form for the Victory, Kruse signed with German side Fortuna Düsseldorf on a three-year contract beginning with the 2011–12 season.[12] 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.[13] Kruse started in Fortuna's return to the Bundesliga in the 2012–13 season. Kruse provided a flick on for Schahin leading to the first goal and a neat cross for Schahin's second. Fortuna went on to win the match 2–0 over Augsburg.[14] Kruse scored his first goal in the Bundesliga against Hoffenheim.[15] In the 2–0 win over Hamburger SV, Kruse scored his second goal of the Bundesliga campaign and then provided the assist for Fortuna's second.[16]

Bayer Leverkusen

Kruse signed a three-year contract with German side Bayer Leverkusen for €1.5 million on 28 April 2013.[17] Kruse made his run-on debut against Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on 21 September 2013, scoring two goals in a 4–1 victory.

International career

On 28 December 2010, following his impressive level of play in the A-League 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.[18] Kruse scored his third goal against Jordan on 11 June 2013, in a 2014 World Cup qualifier in which Australia won 4–0, and in which Kruse was also Man of the Match, with two more assists on top of his goal.[19] He missed out on a spot in the team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with an injury.[20]

Kruse was named as part of Australia's 2015 AFC Asian Cup squad. He made his first appearance of the tournament as a starter in Australia's first group game against Kuwait. Kruse started Australia's second group game against Oman, scoring Australia's second goal of the game off a Massimo Luongo assist, in an eventual 4–0 win, with Kruse being named man of the match in the same match.

Kruse started in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final. However, in the middle of the second half, Kruse suffered an Achilles injury and was substituted off for James Troisi. Australia went on to win the match 2-1 with the matchwinning goal coming through Troisi. Scans revealed that although Kruse's injury was not as serious as initially feared, he will still spend up to 4 months on the sidelines.

International goals

Score and Result lists Australia's goals first
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 25 January 2011 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Uzbekistan 6–0 6–0 2011 AFC Asian Cup
2 10 August 2011 Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Wales 2–0 2–1 Friendly
3 11 June 2013 Docklands Stadium, Melbourne, Australia  Jordan 3–0 4–0 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification
4 13 January 2015 Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia  Oman 2–0 4–0 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Career statistics

As of 21 December 2014
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Brisbane Roar
2006–07 00410041
2007–08 1744200216
2008–09 40200060
2009–10 50000050
Total 26410300367
Melbourne Victory
2009–10 2050040245
2010–11 191100402311
Total 391600804716
Fortuna Düsseldorf
2011–12 1101000120
2012–13 3043000334
Total 4144000454
Bayer Leverkusen 2013–14 1422140203
2014–15 40102070
Total 1823160213
Career Total 1242617414015530

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.)

Honours

International

Australia

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Phoenix ready to samba". tvnz.co.nz. 13 Jul 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Debutant Kruse seals win for Roar". smh.com.au. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  3. ↑ Ritson, Jon (5 October 2007). "Brissie Boys Grab First Home Win". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  4. ↑ "Jets and Roar draw". foxsports.com.au. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  5. ↑ "Victory fear deja-vu after another loss". theage.com.au. 18 November 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  6. ↑ Davis, Greg (17 November 2007). "Robbie Kruse is Roar talent". couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  7. ↑ "Robbie Kruse risks Roar future after late-night punch-up". couriermail.com.au. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  8. ↑ "Punched Roar winger Robbie Kruse warned on clubbing". couriermail.com.au. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  9. ↑ "Allsopp joins Qatar's Al-Rayyan". melbournevictory.com.au. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  10. ↑ "Robbie Kruse leaves Brisbane Roar to join Melbourne". couriermail.com.au. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  11. ↑ "Robbie Kruse's hat-trick seals 6–2 for Melbourne Victory". heraldsun.com.au. 17 January 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  12. ↑ "Kruse Completes Fortuna Deal". Australian FourFourTwo. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  13. ↑ "Aussies Abroad Weekend Wrap". FourFourTwo. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  14. ↑ http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/249057,kruse-shines-in-bundesliga-debut.aspx[]
  15. ↑ "Kruse nets in Bundesliga". theworldgame.sbs.com.au. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  16. ↑ "Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Hamburger SV 2 - 0". Soccerway. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  17. ↑ "Bayer sichert sich die Dienste von Kruse". kicker (in German). 28 April 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "Cahill, Kruse goals sink Wales". The World Game. SBS. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  19. ↑ "Socceroos one step closer to Brazil". footballaustralia.com.au. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  20. ↑ "Kruse gives up World Cup dream". FourFourTwo. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.