Marco Antonio Bustos (born April 22, 1996) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Allsvenskan club Värnamo.

Marco Bustos
Personal information
Full nameMarco Antonio Bustos
Date of birth (1996-04-22) April 22, 1996 (age 28)
Place of birthWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s)Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
Värnamo
Number19
Youth career
Garden City CC
2007–2011FC Northwest
2011–2014Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2014Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-237(4)
2015–2018Vancouver Whitecaps FC4(0)
2015–2017Whitecaps FC 2 (loan)57(22)
2018Zacatepec (loan)5(0)
2018–2019Oklahoma City Energy16(1)
2019Valour FC25(7)
2020–2022Pacific FC57(14)
2023–Värnamo18(3)
International career
2013Canada U178(0)
2014–2015Canada U206(2)
2015–2017Canada6(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 15, 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 22, 2017

Club career

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Youth

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He began playing soccer at age four with the Garden City CC.[1] Bustos played for FC Northwest in his native Winnipeg for four years before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps's academy in 2011. Bustos played from the U-16 level up, and completed his time at the academy with a 19-goal performance during the 2013-14 USSDA season. He also played seven games for the Vancouver U-23 PDL side, scoring four goals.[2]

Vancouver Whitecaps

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Bustos made his professional debut for Vancouver in the 2014 Canadian Championship, starting a game against Toronto FC on May 7, 2014.[3] On September 15, it was announced Bustos had signed a pre-contract with Vancouver and would officially be added to the team's roster in January 2015.[4] Bustos made his MLS league debut for the Whitecaps against FC Dallas on October 14, 2015.[5]

After the 2017 season, Bustos would re-sign an 18-month contract with the Whitecaps, with club options for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons. He would also be loaned to Zacatepec of Ascenso MX for the duration of the 18-month contract.[6] In August 2018, Bustos and Whitecaps FC mutually agreed to terminate his MLS contract.[7]

OKC Energy

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In August 2018, Bustos joined the United Soccer League's OKC Energy FC.[8]

Valour FC

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On May 7, 2019, Bustos signed for his hometown club, Canadian Premier League side Valour FC.[9]

Pacific FC

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On January 30, 2020, Bustos signed with Pacific FC.[10] He made his debut on August 15 against the HFX Wanderers, netting a goal in a 2–2 draw.[11] In his final match of 2020, Bustos scored twice and assisted twice in the first half to finish the season with five goals and three assists.[12] Bustos continued with Pacific for the 2021 Canadian Premier League, and on July 10 he scored two goals against York United FC, making him the Canadian Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer, with 15 goals in three years between Valour and Pacific.[13]

After the conclusion of the 2022 season, Bustos joined Major League Soccer side Toronto FC on trial.[14] In January 2023, Pacific announced Bustos would be departing the club, following the expiration of his contract.[15]

Värnamo

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On January 14, 2023, Bustos officially joined Swedish club Värnamo on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract with the club.[16][17] He made his Allsvenskan debut on April 2, starting in a 0–1 away win against IFK Göteborg.[18] He then scored his first goal for the club on April 29, finding the net in a 3–1 league defeat to Häcken.[19][20]

International career

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Youth

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Bustos has represented Canada at youth level and was a part of the Canadian team at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[21] He courted controversy in July 2014 when he accepted a call-up from the Chile U-20 squad for a training camp prior to an invitational tournament in the United States.[22] This prompted a negative reaction from Canadian soccer media circles.[23] Bustos would state in an interview that he was not spurning Canada, and simply "keeping his options open."[24] He was cut from the final Chile squad, however. Bustos was subsequently left off the Canadian U-20 team that went to 2014 Milk Cup the following month, but returned to the team for a series of friendlies in November, where he scored a goal for Canada against Russia's U-21 side.[25] In January 2015 Bustos made the Canadian team for the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[26]

Senior

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Bustos received his first call up to the Canadian senior team for a friendly against Ghana on October 2, 2015.[27] Bustos made his debut for the senior side on October 13 as a substitute, replacing fellow debutante Charlie Trafford.[28]

Honours

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Club

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Pacific FC

Personal life

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Marco Bustos has a Chilean father and an Italian mother.[29][30]

Career statistics

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As of 19 August 2023[31][32]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational Cup[a]Continental[b]Other[c]Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-232014USL PDL740074
Vancouver Whitecaps FC2014MLS00100010
20151000400050
20163010100050
20170020000020
Total40405000130
Whitecaps FC 2 (loan)2015USL17700177
201619720217
201721800218
Total57220000205922
Zacatepec (loan)2017–18Ascenso MX50211081
2018–1900100010
Total5031001091
OKC Energy2018USL Championship91000091
201970000070
Total161000000161
Valour FC2019CPL2572100278
Pacific FC20201050000105
20211771000187
2022302101000354
Total82210000009024
Värnamo2023Allsvenskan1530000153
Career total18651102913019855
  1. ^ Includes the Canadian Championship and Copa MX
  2. ^ Includes the CONCACAF Champions League
  3. ^ Includes the USL Cup Playoffs and the Ascenso MX Liguilla

References

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  1. ^ "Marco Bustos Canada Soccer profile". Canadian Soccer Association.
  2. ^ "Marco Bustos". Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  3. ^ Davidson, Neil (May 7, 2014). "Amway Canadian Championship: Defoe, Bradley score as Toronto FC downs young Whitecaps team".
  4. ^ "Whitecaps FC add Homegrown player Marco Bustos". September 15, 2014.
  5. ^ Kingston, Gary (October 14, 2015). "Dallas dominates Whitecaps to win 2-0".
  6. ^ Charles Boehm (January 10, 2018). "Whitecaps re-sign Marco Bustos, loan him to Mexican side Zacatepec". Major League Soccer.
  7. ^ "Whitecaps FC and midfielder Marco Bustos mutually agree to part ways". WhitecapsFC.com. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  8. ^ "ENERGY FC ADDS MIDFIELDER & CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM PLAYER MARCO BUSTOS TO ROSTER". EnergyFC.com. August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  9. ^ "Valour FC add Winnipeg forward Marco Bustos". Valour FC. May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  10. ^ "Canadian Top Talent Signs with Pacific FC". Pacific FC. January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  11. ^ Molinaro, John (August 15, 2020). "'Coastal Clash' between Pacific FC and HFX Wanderers ends in stalemate in PEI".
  12. ^ Thompson, Marty (September 15, 2020). "Brilliant Marco Bustos shines in Pacific FC's Island Games finale". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  13. ^ Jacques, John (July 10, 2021). "Bustos leads Pacific to dominant win over York United". Northern Tribune.
  14. ^ Jacques, John (November 2, 2022). "Bustos Begins Trial Stint With Toronto FC". Northern Tribune.
  15. ^ Jacques, John (January 4, 2023). "Official: Bustos Departs Pacific FC". Northern Tribune.
  16. ^ "Välkommen till IFK Värnamo - Marco Bustos". IFK Värnamo (in Swedish). January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  17. ^ Jacques, John (January 14, 2023). "IFK Varnamo Unveils Marco Bustos". Northern Tribune. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  18. ^ Werdelin, Lucas (April 2, 2023). "Marcus Berg sänkte sitt eget lag - Blåvitt föll mot Värnamo". fotbollskanalen (in Swedish). Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  19. ^ Käck, Andreas; Wagner, Michael (April 29, 2023). "Häcken nya serieledare efter segern". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  20. ^ Hellgren, Tobias (April 29, 2023). "TV: Ny säker Häcken-seger - Traoré med sin sjätte fullträff". fotbollskanalen (in Swedish). Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  21. ^ "Canada selects 21 for the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013". October 3, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  22. ^ "SELECCIÓN SUB 20: NÓMINA DE CONVOCADOS PARA LA COPA NTC USA 2014". July 4, 2014.
  23. ^ Fudge, Simon (July 7, 2014). "Bustos gives Canadian fans cause for concern".
  24. ^ "Marco Bustos called up to Chile's U-20 national team". July 6, 2014.
  25. ^ "Goals by MLSers Jordan Hamilton, Marco Bustos lead Canada Under-20s to win vs. Russia". November 15, 2014.
  26. ^ Rowaan, Dave (January 5, 2014). "Canada names squad for CONCACAF U20 Championships".
  27. ^ Bottjer, Steve (October 2, 2015). "CanMNT names squad for October friendly against Ghana".
  28. ^ "Canada MNT deliver impressive performance in Ghana draw". October 13, 2015.
  29. ^ "Bustos gives Canadian fans cause for concern". Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  30. ^ "Marco Bustos called up to Chile's U-20 national team". Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  31. ^ Marco Bustos at Soccerway
  32. ^ Marco Bustos at Major League Soccer


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