Philadelphia Union
DOOPing Overseas October Edition: Anderson, Makhanya score first goals with new clubs
October was filled with firsts for former Union players, with Markus Anderson and Olwethu Makhanya scoring their first goals with their new teams, Samuel Adeniran recording his first career Champions League goal contribution and Leon Flach debuting for VfL Osnabrück. The month proved tough for others, with Stuart Findlay and Mikael Uhre playing a combined 21 minutes in October.
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 Union players did in October:
Brenden Aaronson (Medford, N.J.) – The former Union homegrown attacking midfielder started one game for Leeds United in October, playing 65 minutes in a scoreless draw at Sunderland. Aaronson came off the bench against Arsenal and Bournemouth, but was an unused substitute during a home draw with Manchester United. The 26-year-old has played 375 minutes across the Premier League and League Cup, registering one goal.
Samuel Adeniran – After a slow start to the month, Adeniran finished with goal contributions in all of LASK’s final four games of October. Adeniran scored twice and assisted twice, including assisting on the winning goal in LASK’s thrilling Champions League victory at Sporting CP. The American now has 10 goals and three assists in 14 games this season. Adeniran sits fourth in the Austrian Bundesliga with eight goal contributions.
Markus Anderson – The on-loan Union attacker opened his scoring account with Lyngby in early October, notching two goals in four games. Despite only receiving one start for his new club, Anderson has made an impression off the bench. In his team’s first game of the month, the 22-year-old scored his first goal in an 11-minute appearance. During Lyngby’s last game of October, Anderson played 27 minutes as a substitute and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 home victory over Randers FC. On Oct. 25, Anderson went head-to-head with former Union teammate Mikael Uhre when Lyngby travelled to FC Midtjylland. Anderson played 18 minutes while Uhre was left on the bench in his team’s 3-2 win.
Julian Carranza – The former Union striker had a quiet month of October, scoring one goal in a 3-3 draw with Pachuca. After scoring in three straight matches, Carranza hasn’t found the back of the net in his last three games, including missing a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Juarez. The Argentine has seven goals and two assists in 13 Liga MX games this season.
Stuart Findlay – The former Union center back played just eight minutes for Hearts in October. He was an unused substitute in back-to-back games against Nordsjaelland and Celtic before missing three games due to injury. Findlay has returned to training and will be available for Hearts moving forward. The 31-year-old has played in seven Scottish Premiership matches, but has yet to appear in the Conference League league phase.
Leon Flach – The former Union midfielder made his first three appearances for VfL Osnabrück in October. After joining the 2. Bundesliga side on loan from Jagiellonia Bialystok, Flach missed all of September with an injury. He made his debut on Oct. 10, playing 45 minutes off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Dynamo Dresden. He made his first start for VfL Osnabrück a week later, playing 83 minutes in a 2-1 road loss to Arminia Bielefeld.
Olwethu Makhanya – The former Union center back continues to take the Scottish Premiership by storm. Makhanya played every minute of Rangers’ five games in October, registering three wins and two clean sheets. The 22-year-old scored his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw at Hearts on Oct. 28. Makhanya’s looping header crept just under the crossbar, leveling the score at two in the 89th minute. Makhanya and Rangers sit second in the table, four points behind Celtic with a game in hand, and have conceded the fewest goals (nine) in the league.
Jack McGlynn – The former Union midfielder played five matches in October, recording one goal and two assists. After goal contributions in three straight games, McGlynn went his next three matches without a goal or assist. However, he ended the month on a high note, notching a goal and assist in a Man of the Match performance in a 2-0 win over Preston. In nine games for Stoke City, the 23-year-old has three goals and two assists. McGlynn’s arrival in the EFL Championship has helped his side climb to seventh in the table, currently sitting in a playoff position.
Mark McKenzie (Bear, Del.) – The American center back officially announced his return to the Union just before the start of October. The Delaware native will join from Toulouse on Jan. 1, 2027. McKenzie played every minute for Toulouse in October, helping his side collect two clean sheets and a win.
Jamiro Monterio – The former Union midfielder played in five of NEC Nijmegen’s matches in October, starting three. Despite not recording a goal contribution yet this season, Monteiro is a trusted staple of his side’s midfield and put together strong performances in the Eredivisie in October. The 32-year-old also came off the bench in NEC Nijmegen’s 4-2 Europa League comeback win over Dinamo Zagreb.
Auston Trusty – The former Union center back played in one of Celtic’s seven games in October, a 4-1 Europa League loss at Benfica. He was an unused substitute for Scottish Premiership games against Motherwell and Hearts. Trusty missed the rest of Celtic’s games after the passing of his father, Walt.
Mikael Uhre – The former Union striker played just 13 minutes across six games for FC Midtjylland in October. Uhre came off the bench for 13 minutes in the Europa League on Oct. 15 and was left on the bench for the remaining five games. Uhre has played just 61 minutes in four games across three competitions this season. The 32-year-old forward still hasn’t scored since leaving the Union, but hasn’t been given much of an opportunity to find any form.
