Sporting Kansas City forward Krisztian Nemeth has been named to the Hungary Men’s National Team for two upcoming matches. Hungary will play an international friendly against Lithuania at 11:30 a.m. CT on June 5 in Debrecen, Hungary followed by a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier versus Finland at 11 a.m. CT on June 13 in Helsinki, Finland.
“I am excited to be back with the national team for this very important qualifier,” Nemeth said. “Every game is significant at this stage and I am proud to be a part of the squad to continue our qualifying campaign for the European Championship.”
Nemeth leads Sporting Kansas City with five goals this season, second most among all MLS newcomers. Last week, the 26-year-old scored twice and added an assist in the team’s 4-2 victory over New England at Sporting Park. The five-point performance was the most by a Sporting KC player since June 2011 (Graham Zusi) and matched the MLS season-high in 2015.
All five of Nemeth’s shots on target this season have resulted in goals, making him one of only four players in MLS history to score on each of their first five shots on goal during the regular season. Charlie Davies (2011) and Jesse Marsch (1996-98) also scored on the first five shots on goal of their MLS careers, while Claudio Suarez (2006-07) set the all-time mark with seven goals on his first seven shots on target.
Acquired in December with 10 years of professional experience in Europe, Nemeth has played in England, Greece, Netherlands and his native Hungary. He has 15 international appearances for the Hungary Men’s National Team, debuting in 2010 and most recently representing his country in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Hungary, No. 43 in the latest FIFA rankings, is currently third in Group F of UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying with a 2-1-2 record after five of the team’s 10 scheduled matches. The top two teams advance directly to UEFA Euro 2016, while third-place teams remain in contention through an automatic berth for the best overall finisher and two-legged playoffs for the other eight nations.
Nemeth will join the Hungary Men’s National Team in Budapest on June 1. He will miss Sporting Kansas City’s regular season match against the Seattle Sounders FC on June 6 at Sporting Park while away on international duty.
