Rudy Kuntner

Rudy Kuntner immigrated to the United States from Wien (Vienna), Austria when he was 7-years-old, with his family settling in New York City. Kuntner was an all-around athlete who played many sports in school, but his best sport was soccer (football). Kuntner played professional soccer, mostly in the American Soccer League (ASL), from 1927-33, with multiple teams, starting out with the New York Giants in 1927. He later played for New York Hungaria in the Easter Soccer League, First Vienna (aka Wiener SC and New York Vienna FC) of the German-American Soccer League, then back to the ASL with Bridgeport Hungaria, then playing his last few years with the New York Giants, New York Americans, Brooklyn St. Mary’s Celtic, and Brookhattan. Kunter was capped twice for the US national team, in the 1928 US Olympic loss to Argentina and in a friendly after the Olympics against Poland.

Kuntner eventually made his living as a stage manager and lighting director with the Metropolitan Opera, after starting out as an electrician and stage hand. He is a member of the US Soccer Hall of Fame.