On 28 December 2010, following his impressive level of play in the A-League Kruse was selected in the Australian national team's 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup. On 5 January 2011, he made his Socceroos debut, coming off the bench against UAE in a pre-Asian Cup friendly match. On 25 January 2011, Kruse scored his first international goal, in a 6–0 victory over Uzbekistan in the semi final of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. In the final of the competition, he made a substitute appearance and almost scored a header with his first touch of the ball. Australia lost the final 1–0 in extra time.