Newly acquired United midfielder Zoltán Stieber has followed Major League Soccer closely for a number of years, so when the Black-and-Red came calling, the decision was an easy one.
“I got a call that D.C. United were interested in signing me,” Stieber said. “I approved this option and in the end I decided to come here. I played most of my career in Germany, I think it was almost nine years. It was quite a long period in my career...I was thinking about doing something different. I think that was the right decision for me. So, I am very happy to be here.”
The Hungarian’s interest in the league was sparked by the MLS successes of fellow Hungarian national team players Krisztián Németh and Nemanja Nikolić.
“I was looking at MLS because of two [international] teammates of mine,” he said “Krisztián Németh, who used to play at Kansas City, and Nemanja Nikolić, who plays at Chicago at the moment. Both guys did really well, so I was following their career and, of course, MLS.”
Németh and Nikolić have both had great success in their first seasons in MLS. Back in 2015, Németh, who recently made his own move back to the States after signing with New England, scored 10 goals and collected six assists for Kansas City. Nikolić, meanwhile, has scored 16 goals this season for the Chicago Fire and was named to the MLS All-Star Game.
Stieber is hopeful he can have similar success with D.C. United.
“Obviously, it’s not easy to come in the middle of the season, because in Europe it is the offseason,” he said. “So, I’m not 100 percent fit at the moment but I’m working on it and I’m sure I will be able to help the team...The most important thing is to get fit and help the team.”
The 28-year-old has 21 caps for the Hungarian national team, including three appearances during the 2016 UEFA European Championship. Stieber scored against Austria in Hungary’s first match at the tournament and has appeared in matches throughout World Cup and Euro qualification.
“We are thrilled to be getting a high-level player in the prime of his career with top level experience in the German Bundesliga and with the Hungarian national team,” Dave Kasper, United general manager and VP of soccer operations, said. “Zoltán is a technically gifted player who can play multiple attacking positions, is excellent in possession, creates chances at high rates and who works on both sides of the ball for 90 minutes."
The Hungarian totaled 129 appearances in 2. Bundesliga, scoring 26 goals and recording 38 assists. He also made 50 appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring 6 goals and adding 6 assists.
