Philadelphia Union
DOOPing Overseas: Findlay and Wagner assist in return from injuries, McKenzie sees red
It was an eventful weekend for former Union players overseas with the highs of a trio of assists and the lows of red cards and injuries. Brenden Aaronson, Stuart Findlay and Kai Wagner all tallied assists in wins, with the latter two having just returned from lengthy injury spells. Mark McKenzie received a straight red card in a lopsided loss while Mikael Uhre added his name to the injury list.
With sustained success this decade, fans have seen some of the brightest academy talents, their favorite players, and outcasts make their way overseas to compete in some of the best leagues in the world. The club is represented in Europe, South America, the Middle East, and more.
Let’s see how some of those former Philadelphia Union players fared in last week’s matches:
Stuart Findlay – The former Union center back returned from a lengthy injury absence to help Hearts come from behind to beat Motherwell on Saturday. Findlay last played on February 21, missing four league matches due to a hamstring injury. In the 61st minute, with Hearts down 1-0, Findlay met a corner at the back post, nodding his header into the danger area for Claudio Braga to flick home. The 30-year-old won seven of his eight duels and made three clearances and recoveries. Findlay’s performance made sure Hearts would stay atop the Scottish Premiership table heading into the Championship Group playoffs.
Kai Wagner – The former Union left back also made his return from injury, collecting an assist in Birmingham City’s 2-0 home win over Wrexham on Sunday. This was Wagner’s first appearance in over a month after he missed five games with a shoulder injury. The 29-year-old played a big part in his side’s opening goal, which turned out to be the winning goal. Wagner floated in a lofted left-footed cross from the left wing that was met by Carlos Vicente, who powered a header off the goalkeeper’s fingertips and in. Wagner returned with a vintage performance, completing six of his eight crosses and creating five chances.
Mark McKenzie (Bear, Del.) – The former Union center back was shown a straight red card in Toulouse’s 4-0 home loss to Lille on Sunday. In the 48th minute, McKenzie dragged down Matias Fernandez-Pardo with his right arm, halting the attacker’s free run at goal. McKenzie was ruled to be the last man, denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, immediately receiving a straight red card. Lille would score on the ensuing free kick which was just outside the box. This was the 27-year-old’s first sending off of the season.
Brenden Aaronson (Medford, N.J) – The former Union midfielder registered an assist in Leeds United’s historical victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday. With Leeds already up a goal, they would extend their lead to two thanks to an assist from Aaronson. In the 29th minute, a scramble in the box saw Aaronson rise highest to head a pass backward to Noah Okafor at the edge of the box, who fired a deflected volley into the bottom right corner. The American completed 88 percent of his passes and created two chances in 86 minutes. The 2-1 result was Leeds’ first victory at Old Trafford in 45 years, and pulled them six points clear of the relegation zone.
Other Notables
– Samuel Adeniran registered an assist in LASK’s 3-2 upset victory over Red Bull Salzburg on Friday.
– Julian Carranza has officially been ruled out for the season by Necaxa after having successful surgery to deal with compartment syndrome in both legs.
– Jamiro Monteiro, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since the end of January, returned to training with PEC Zwolle, but no timetable has been set for his return to action.
– Auston Trusty and Celtic kept a clean sheet in an important 1-0 home victory over St. Mirren on Saturday.
– Mikael Uhre missed his return to his former club Brondby with an unknown injury, as FC Midtjylland collected all three points in a 2-1 road win on Sunday.
What’s Next
– Brenden Aaronson and Leeds host Wolves on Saturday, April 18, at 10 a.m. ET.
– Kai Wagner and Birmingham City travel to Hull City on Saturday, April 18, at 10 a.m. ET.
– Auston Trusty and Celtic face St. Mirren in the Scottish FA Cup Semifinals on Sunday, April 19, at 9 a.m. ET.
– Samuel Adeniran and LASK host Sturm Graz on Sunday, April 19, at 11 a.m. ET.
– Miakel Uhre and FC Midtjylland host AGF on Monday, April 20, at 1 p.m. ET.
