Stefano Rijssel

Stefano Rijssel
Personal information
Full name Stefano Rodney Rijssel
Date of birth (1992-03-26) 26 March 1992
Place of birth Suriname
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Inter Moengotapoe
Number 26
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 SV Leo Victor 14 (4)
2011–2012 Inter Moengotapoe 8 (1)
2012–2014 W Connection 16 (9)
2014- Inter Moengotapoe 20 (1)
National team‡
2010– Suriname 25 (8)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13:03, 12 July 2016 (UTC)

Stefano Rijssel (born 26 March 1992) is a Surinamese footballer who currently plays for Inter Moengotapoe and the Suriname national football team.[1][2]

Club career

Semi-professional

Rijssel began his career with SV Leo Victor and Inter Moengotapoe, both of Suriname's Hoofdklasse. After being the league's top scorer with SV Leo Victor with 14 goals during the 2010-2011 season,[3] Rijssel was offered a two-week trial with Belgium's Germinal Beerschot but ultimately was not signed by the club.[4] It was reported that Rijssel made a favorable impression with the club, particularly with his ability to adapt to the difference in the level of play between the Suriname league and the Belgian league over the two-week period, but was unable to set himself apart from the attackers already on the roster, particularly considering the poor financial situation of the club at the time.[5] Also in 2010-2011, Rijssel scored 4 goals in 3 matches for Leo Victor in the 2010 CFU Club Championship but that was not enough to help his club advance to the second round of the competition.[1] After returning home from Belgium and playing a season for Inter Moengotapoe, Rijssel signed for W Connection on a 3-year contract in July 2012 after impressing the club at the 2012 CFU Club Championship with Inter. In this competition, Rijssel tallied 11 goals in the first round before being eliminated by Antigua Barracuda, Victory Sportif Club, and W Connection.[1][6]

Professional

By signing for W Connection, Rijssel became the only fully professional footballer representing Suriname internationally at that time.[1] During his first season with W Connection, Rijssel made two appearances against C.D. Guadalajara of Mexico and one appearance against Club Xelajú MC of Guatemala in the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League.[7] During the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League, Rijssel made three appearances in the group stage including two against CD Árabe Unido of Panama and one against the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer. On 6 September 2013, Rijssel scored W Connection's fourth goal in a 4-2 victory over Defence Force F.C. in the 2013 Trinidad and Tobago Charity Shield, an annual match between the previous season's league winner and the winner of the Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl.[8] After being out for months because of injury, Rijssel returned to league action on 7 December 2013 as a second-half substitute against Central FC. He marked his return with a 78th-minute strike, the game-winner in the 1-0 victory.[9] In total, Rijssel amassed 16 league appearances for the Trinidadian club, scoring 9 goals and 1 goal international.[10] Rijssel became the MVP of the 2014 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl after scoring 2 goals in the final.

In December 2013, it was announced that Rijssel was one of 23 Caribbean players selected to participate in the 2014 Caribbean Combine, with hopes of participating in the 2014 MLS Combine and being selected in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.[11] Following the 3-day event, Rijssel was one of only two players selected to participate in the MLS Combine from 10-14 of January in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, along with Quintón Christina of Curaçao,[12] because of their "impressive play".[13] During the combine, Rijssel started the match on Day 1 but was an unused substitute on Day 2 with representatives from the Columbus Crew and reigning champions Sporting Kansas City making contact with the player.[14] Following the combine, Rijssel's performance was described as, "...showed plenty of mobility and enterprise. Yet can be erratic and out of control".[15]

Rijssel was not drafted during rounds 1 and 2 of the first day of the draft. However, he was identified as one of the best players available going into the third and fourth rounds.[15] On 21 January 2014, Rijssel was selected in the 3rd round, 55th overall, by Seattle Sounders FC becoming the first player from the Caribbean Combine to ever be drafted.[16][17] After drafting Rijssel, Sounders' assistant coach and scout Kurt Schmid said, “he showed good tactical sense as well as physical qualities. He can play wide in midfield but also has some versatility.”[10] It was then reported that Rijssel would attend the opening of Seattle's training camp scheduled for four days after the draft but was still under contract with W Connection so a deal for a loan or purchase of the player would have to be negotiated.[18] After Rijssel was drafted by Seattle, W Connection owner David John Williams told Caribbean media that Rijssel was allowed to go to Seattle for training before a deal for the player had been made. However, he stated that MLS officials had already contacted him to establish parameters for a transfer if Seattle decided to sign Rijssel and that an offer would be made after the two-week training camp was finished.[19] Before departing for preseason camp in Arizona, Rijssel earned the fastest time for the 30-meter dash during club fitness tests.[20] Following the club's return to Seattle, it was announced that Rijssel had been cut and was no longer with the team.[21]

Return to Suriname

In August 2014, it was announced that Rijssel was transferred back to Inter Moengotapoe from W Connection for a record $20,000 USD. Rijssel stated that he had not felt comfortable with the Trinidadian club since his failed transfer to Seattle Sounders FC and that he felt W Connection was to blame.[22] After his return to Suriname he has been showing less of himself on the pitch,the only place where he performs at his best is for his country.Despite this Stefano is considered one of the best Forward players of his generation.

International career

Rijssel was a key figure in Suriname's qualification for the 2011 CONCACAF U-20 Championship held in Guatemala, scoring 7 goals in 5 matches. This was the first time that Suriname qualified for the tournament since the 1990 edition.[23] His tally of 7 goals made him second top scorer in qualifying, only one behind the leader.[24] However, Rijssel was held scoreless in losses against the United States and Panama in the final round of the tournament and Suriname failed to qualify for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[1] Rijssel made his first senior appearance for Suriname on 13 October 2010 in a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands Antilles national football team in the 2010 Caribbean Championship. His first goal came only two days later in 2-1 victory over Saint Lucia in the same tournament,[25] scoring only 14 minutes into the match.[1] Rijssel has worn the #9 on his national jersey,[26] the number typically reserved for a player who is the team's pure goal scorer and target striker.[27] On 29 March 2016 he scored 2 goals against Guadeloupe in the first round of the 2017 Caribbean Cup Qualification.Then on 4 June he assisted 2 goals in a match against St Vincent and the Grenadines in the 2nd round.

International goals

Scores and results list Surinames's goal tally first.[28]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 October 15, 2010 André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname  Saint Lucia
1–0
2–1
2010 Caribbean Championship qualification
2 November 12, 2010 Antigua Recreation Ground, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda  Cuba
2–1
3–3
3 November 14, 2010  Dominica
5–0
5–0
4 September 23, 2011 André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname  Curaçao
1–0
2–0
Friendly
5 September 5, 2012 Stade Omnisports, Le Lamentin, Martinique  Montserrat
7–1
8–1
2012 Caribbean Championship qualification
6
7–1
7 September 7, 2012  British Virgin Islands
1–0
4–0
8
4–0
9 March 29, 2016 André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname  Guadeloupe
1–1
3–2
2017 Caribbean Cup qualification
10
2–2
Last updated 29 March 2016

Career Statistics

Club

Club Season League League League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental[lower-alpha 2] Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Trinidad and Tobago W Connection 2012-13[29] TT Pro League 135-000310166-
2013-14[29] 34-00050064-
Career total 169-0008102410-
Last updated 22 January 2016
  1. ↑ Includes appearances in the Trinidad and Tobago Classic
  2. ↑ Includes appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League

International

As of 7 December January 2014.[30]
Suriname national team
YearAppsGoals
201073
201181
201254
201300
201430
201520
201622
Total2710

Honours

Club

Inter Moengotapoe[31]

Winners: 2014-15, 15-16
Runners-up: 2011-12

W Connection

Winners: 2012
Winners: 2013
Winners: 2014

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "MLS Profile". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "SSFC Profile". Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Stefano Rijssel vertrekt van Leo Victor naar Inter Moengotapoe" (in Dutch). sportxmagazine.com. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Stefano Rijssel voor stage naar België". Natio Suriname. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Geen Belgisch profcontract voor voetballer Stefano Rijssel" (in Dutch). Star Nieuws. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Rijssel krijgt toestemming voor interlands Natio". Natio Suriname. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "Stefano Rijssel BIO". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "Arcia nets twice as W Connection retains Digicel Charity Shield". socawarriors.net. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "W Connection still unbeaten". Trinidad Express. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Sounders FC Selects Stefano Rijssel & Fabio Pereira in MLS SuperDraft". Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "MLS invites 24 players from 16 countries to first-ever Caribbean Player Combine". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Historic CFU MLS Combine Comes To An End". Antigua and Barbuda Football Association. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Major League Soccer signs 3 defenders to Generation adidas deals, capping 2014 class at 7". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "Stefano Rijssel en el MLS Combine 2014: "ES IMPORTANTE PARA ELLOS EL FUTBOLISTA DE SURINAM"" (in Spanish). Surinam Futbol. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  15. 1 2 Borg, Simon. "SuperDraft: The best players available for Tuesday's Rounds 3 & 4". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  16. ↑ "2014 Draft Tracker". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "SuperDraft: Caribbean Combine star Stefano Rijssel highlights picks in Rounds 3, 4". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  18. ↑ Mayers, Joshua. "Sounders draft two internationals as camp set to open". Seattle Times. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  19. ↑ Liburd, Lasana. "Seattle drafts Connection's Rijssel; déjà vu for young Warriors". wired868.com. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  20. ↑ Mayers, Joshua. "Sounders FC's fitness test results". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  21. ↑ Mayers, Joshua. "Wednesday notes: Danny O'Rourke joins training camp, first cuts made". Seattle Times. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  22. ↑ Balsemhof, Marinio. "nter Moengotapoe haalt Stefano Rijssel voor US 20.000" (in Dutch). dwtonline.com. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  23. ↑ "U.S. U-20 MNT Ready for Opening Match of CONCACAF U-20 Championship". US Soccer Federation. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  24. ↑ Davis, Noah. "US U-20s heavily favored against Suriname". Columbus Crew. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "Stefano Rijssel Caps/Goals". Caribbean Football Database. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  26. ↑ "Suriname vs. Cayman Islands". FIFA. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  27. ↑ Carrick, Buzz. "The Thing About The Thing About Numbers, Redeaux, Redeaux". dallasnews.com. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  28. ↑ "Stefano Rijssel Profile". Caribbean Football Database. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  29. 1 2 "TT Pro League Profile". TT Pro League. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  30. ↑ Stefano Rijssel at National-Football-Teams.com
  31. ↑ "Surinam - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
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