
Austin FC Acquires Finnish International and NYCFC Captain Alex Ring Ahead of Inaugural MLS Season
December 17, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Austin FC News Release
Austin, Texas - Austin FC, the 27th club in Major League Soccer (MLS), announced today that the Club has acquired midfielder and New York City FC Captain Alex Ring in exchange for $500,000 in 2021 General Allocation Money ("GAM"), $250,000 in 2022 GAM, and performance-related additional sums. Ring will join Austin FC prior to the beginning of the 2021 preseason, along with the remainder of the roster, which has increased to 12 players with his signing.
"We are very excited to add Alex to our squad. He is a highly regarded MLS player who can play in multiple positions," commented Claudio Reyna, Austin FC Sporting Director. "He has been a key piece in one of the best MLS teams in the last four to five years. He sets a high standard in training and is someone who is a top professional. Alex will be a great addition to our Club."
"I am looking forward to this new challenge and opportunity with Austin," commented Ring. "It's exciting to be a part of something from the very beginning. I have seen the progress with the stadium and St. David's Performance Center and the hype around the city and the club. I can't wait to join my teammates and meet our fans."
Ring, 29, has made 120 career appearances (119 starts) in over four (4) seasons in Major League Soccer, scoring 10 goals and tallying 13 assists in regular season play. Ring has also made three (3) appearances (three (3) starts) in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2019), while leading NYCFC in regular season minutes played in 2020 and co-leading the same category in 2019. In 2018, Ring was selected as a Coach's pick for the 2018 MLS All-Star Game, where he was a starter against Italian powerhouse Juventus FC.
Prior to joining MLS, Ring spent the 2014-17 seasons with German side 1. FC Kaiserslautern where he registered 83 appearances (73 starts). Ring spent the two (2) seasons prior (2011-13) with five-time Bundesliga Champion Borussia Monchengladbach, playing in 21 matches and scoring one (1) goal across competitions, which included UEFA Champions and Europa League.
A native of Helsinki, Finland, Ring played for two (2) seasons with Helsinki HJK (2010-11) and logged 43 starts in 35 games played, contributing six (6) goals across all competitions. Ring propelled HJK to the Club's most successful season in 2011, winning the Suomen Cup and the Finnish Veikkausliiga. In the international arena, Ring has represented Finland at the senior level in 43 matches (39 starts), scoring two (2) goals while competing in the Baltic Cup, European and World Cup Qualifiers.
Transaction: Austin FC acquires midfielder Alex Ring by trade from New York City FC in exchange for $500,000 in 2021 General Allocation Money and $250,000 in 2022 GAM, and performance-related additional sums.
Alex Ring Player Details
Name: Alex Ring (pronounced "Al-lex-an-der Ring")
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'9"
Born: April 9, 1991
Age: 27
Birthplace: Helsinki, Finland
Nationality: Finland
LEAGUE STATISTICS
CLUB YEAR MATCHES GOALS
New York City FC 2017-20 120 10
1. FC Kaiserslautern 2013-17 76 8
Borussia Monchengladbach 2011-13 14 0
Helsinki HJK 2010-11 27 2
Tampere United 2010 4 1
Klubi-04 2009-10 32 9
TOTAL 273 30
CUP AND NATIONAL TEAM STATISTICS
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE YEAR MATCHES GOALS
New York City FC 2020 3 0
TOTAL 3 0
LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP YEAR MATCHES GOALS
New York City FC 2019 3 3
TOTAL 3 3
DFB POKAL YEAR MATCHES GOALS
1. FC Kaiserslautern 2013-17 7 0
Borussia Monchengladbach 2011-13 1 0
TOTAL 8 0
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE YEAR MATCHES GOALS
Borussia Monchengladbach 2012-13 2 1
Helsinki HJK 2011-12 4 2
TOTAL 6 3
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE YEAR MATCHES GOALS
Borussia Monchengladbach 2012-13 4 0
Helsinki HJK 2011-12 2 0
Tempere United 2010-11 1 0
TOTAL 7 0
VEIKKAUSLIIFA (FINLAND) YEAR MATCHES GOALS
Helsinki HJK 2011 8 3
TOTAL 8 3
SUOEMEN CUP (FINLAND) YEAR MATCHES GOALS
Helsinki HJK 2011 3 1
TOTAL 3 1
NATIONAL TEAM YEAR MATCHES GOALS
Finland 2012-2018 43 2
Finland U-19 2 0
TOTAL 45 2
Statistics source: MLSsoccer.com / Soccerway
Major League Soccer Stories from December 17, 2020
- Sounders FC Announces Gunbir Gill as Club's Official eMLS Gamer for 2021 Season - Seattle Sounders FC
- LAFC Selects Midfielder Raheem Edwards in Stage 1 of 2020 Re-Entry Process - Los Angeles FC
- Columbus Crew SC Announces Winner of Supporter-Designed New Nordecke Patch Contest - Columbus Crew SC
- Atlanta United, LAFC and Sporting Kansas City Acquire Players in Stage 1 of Re-Entry Process - MLS
- Timbers Acquire Defender Claudio Bravo - Portland Timbers
- Sporting KC Acquires Goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh - Sporting Kansas City
- Atlanta Selects Andrew Gutman with No. 1 Pick in Re-Entry Draft - Atlanta United FC
- Austin FC Acquires Finnish International and NYCFC Captain Alex Ring Ahead of Inaugural MLS Season - Austin FC
- New York City FCÃÂ AcquiresÃÂ Up to $1.25M in General Allocation MoneyÃÂ from Austin FC ForÃÂ Alex Ring - New York City FC
- FC Cincinnati Acquire $75,000 in General Allocation Money from Atlanta United FC - FC Cincinnati
- Atlanta acquires No. 1 pick in Thursday's Re-Entry Draft - Atlanta United FC
- Colorado Rapids Sign Forward Jonathan Lewis to New Contract - Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas Trades Fafa Picault to Houston Dynamo FC - FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo FC Acquire Fafa Picault from FC Dallas - Houston Dynamo FC
- 2020 Year in Review: Top On-Field Moments - Colorado Rapids
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic Stunner Voted Greatest Goal Presented by AT&T - MLS
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- Chicago Fire FC Acquires up to $1,000,000 in General Allocation Money from Montreal Impact in Exchange for Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic - Chicago Fire FC
- Philadelphia Union Announce Danny Higginbotham as Primary Broadcast Color Analyst - Philadelphia Union
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