Diego Rubio

Hometown: Santiago, Chile
Birth date: May 5, 1993
Acquired: Acquired via a trade with Sporting Kansas City on December 18, 2018.

MLS CAREER

2018

• Appeared in 20 MLS games for Sporting Kansas City, nine from the start, scoring eight goals and six assists. 
• Came off the bench to score a dramatic 91st-minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw at the Colorado Rapids on 3/24.
• Came off the bench to score the final goal in a 4-1 win over Minnesota United FC on 6/3.
• Started and played 65 minutes in a 3-2 victory over FC Dallas in the Round of 16 of the USOC on 6/16. 
• Came off the bench to score the equalizing goal in the 85th minute of a 3-2 victory over the Houston Dynamo on 6/23, finding the back of the net just 23 seconds into his substitute appearance, before assisting Khiry Shelton's game-winner in the 88th minute.
• Started and played 71 minutes in a 4-2 USOC quarterfinal loss at the Houston Dynamo on 7/18. 
• Came off the bench to score a 74th-minute game-winner in a 1-0 victory at the Houston Dynamo on 8/4. 
• Scored two excellent goals in a 3-0 win over Portland on 8/18, striking in the 28th and 37th minutes for his second career MLS brace. 
• Scored in the second minute of a 3-1 loss at Seattle Sounders FC, recording a goal or an assist for the seventh straight regular-season game to set an all-time Sporting KC record.
• Assisted Gerso Fernandes' late goal in a 5-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on 9/15, recording a goal or an assist for the eighth straight regular-season game to extend his Sporting KC club record.
• Appeared in three MLS playoff games for Sporting Kansas City, two from the start, scoring two goals and one assist.
• Entered in the 60th minute of a 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake in the conference semifinal first leg on 11/4, scoring the equalizing goal just 38 seconds after his introduction.
• Started and played 68 minutes in a 4-2 conference semifinal second-leg win over Real Salt Lake on 11/11, scoring the first goal of the match.
• Started and played 70 minutes in a 3-2 conference championship second-leg loss to Portland on 11/29, assisting Daniel Salloi's opening goal in the first half.

2017

• Appeared in 16 MLS games for Sporting Kansas City, 11 from the start, scoring six goals and two assists. 
• Made his 2017 debut in a 0-0 draw at the San Jose Earthquakes on 6/17, recording his first appearance since suffering a torn ACL in October 2016.
• Scored first goal of the season with a strike against Philadelphia Union on 7/6.
• Started and played 90 minutes in a 3-0 USOC quarterfinal win against FC Dallas on 7/11. 
• Tallied his first career MLS assist in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire on 7/29.
• Started and played 120 minutes in a 5-4 penalty shootout USOC victory over the San Jose Earthquakes following a 1-1 draw through regulation and extra time on 8/9, scoring the equalizer in the 32nd minute before converting his penalty in the shootout.
• Scored an excellent volley in a 2-0 win over FC Dallas on 8/19.
• Scored a brace in a 3-1 win over the New England Revolution on 9/16, his first multi-goal performance in MLS.
• Started and played 82 minutes in a 2-1 Open Cup Final victory over the New York Red Bulls on 9/20. 
• Assisted Daniel Salloi's goal before scoring the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy on 9/24.
• Scored the go-ahead goal in a 1-1 draw at Minnesota United FC on 10/7.
• Started and played 120 minutes in a 1-0 extra-time loss at the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference Knockout Round on 10/26.

2016

• Appeared in 15 MLS games for Sporting Kansas City, 3 from the start, scoring one goal.
• Made his MLS debut in a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on 4/2, drawing the penalty kick that was subsequently converted by Benny Feilhaber.
• Earned his first MLS start on 4/13 against the Colorado Rapids.
• Scored his first MLS goal in a 1-1 draw at Vancouver on 4/27.
• Started one of two USOC appearances (86 minutes played), recording one goal and one assist.
• Played 15 minutes as a late substitute in a 2-1 extra time USOC win over Minnesota United FC on 6/15, scoring the game-winning goal in the 109th minute.
• Started and played 71 minutes, assisting Brad Davis' goal, in a 3-1 fifth round loss at the Houston Dynamo on 6/29.
• Started and played 90 minutes in a 2-2 CONCACAF Champions League draw at Central FC on 8/16.
• Started and played 90 minutes in a 3-0 CONCACAF Champions League loss at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on 8/23.
• Started and played 90 minutes in a 2-1 CONCACAF Champions League loss to Vancouver on 9/13, scoring a goal in the 55th minute.

OUTSIDE MLS

• A native of Santiago, Chile, Rubio played for 18-time Primeira Liga champion Sporting Clube de Portugal from 2011-2015, scoring 22 goals in 52 games for the club’s reserve team Sporting B. He also made 20 senior team appearances, including six in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League as he helped the club advance to the tournament semifinals.
• During his time at Sporting, Rubio was loaned to Romanian side Pandurii Targu Jiu in 2013 and Norwegian club Sandnes Ulf in 2014, where he led the team with eight goals in the top-flight Tippeligaen. He returned to Portugal for the 2014-15 campaign, finishing seventh in the Segunda Liga with 14 goals as Sporting B fell four points short of the second division title.
• After climbing the youth ranks at his hometown club Colo-Colo, Rubio made his senior team debut aged 17 in February 2011. He notched six goals in 10 matches for Colo-Colo — three in the Chilean Primera Division and three in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier international club competition. He scored his first professional goal in the group stage of the prestigious tournament against eventual champion Santos FC of Brazil. Less than two weeks after receiving his first cap for Chile, Rubio was transferred to Sporting in July 2011.

INTERNATIONAL

• Rubio has earned four caps for the Chile Men’s national team since debuting at age 18 in a friendly against Paraguay in June 2011.
• He appeared in two additional friendlies against France and Mexico later that year before playing eight matches at the U-20 level in 2012 and 2013, including three starts at the 2013 South American Youth Football Championship.
• Rubio started and played 57 minutes for Chile in a 0-0 friendly draw against South Korea on 9/11/18. The occasion marked a momentous breakthrough for Rubio, who made his first senior international appearance for Chile since September 2011 and collected his fourth cap overall.