Canadian international Marco Bustos has joined OKC Energy FC to aid the club's push to reach the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs. | Photo courtesy Bob Frid / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
OKLAHOMA CITY – OKC Energy FC announced on Wednesday it had signed Canadian international Marco Bustos. The signing is pending league and federation approval.
The 22-year-old arrives with Energy FC after being granted his release from Vancouver Whitecaps FC, where he had signed as a Homegrown Player late in the 2014 MLS season. Bustos saw the majority of his action with Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 in the USL over the past three seasons, where he recorded 59 appearances and recorded 22 goals and four assists. Bustos was a key figure as WFC2 reached the Western Conference Final of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs.
“We are excited to add another player with the attacking quality and work ethic that Marco plays with,” said Energy FC Head Coach Steve Cooke. “He’s a player that has significant experience, has been highly successful in our league as well as on an international scale. I think he can make an immediate impact with our club as we press forward in the last quarter of our season.”
A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bustos joined the Whitecaps Academy in 2011. As a homegrown player, he played with the Whitecaps at the U16, U18, U20 and U23 levels before making his MLS debut against FC Dallas during the 2015 season and made four appearances overall for the club in Major League Soccer in addition to competing for the side in the Canadian Championship and Concacaf Champions League.
Bustos has made six appearances for the Canadian Men’s National team, having previously played for the country at the U17 and U20 levels. He made his national team debut in a friendly against Ghana during the 2015 season.