Former Philadelphia Union homegrown product Mark McKenzie has secured his first European trophy, as his Genk side won the Belgian Cup with a 2-1 victory over Standard Liege on Sunday.
McKenzie appeared as a second-half substitute in the final three minutes of Sunday's match, becoming the first US player to play in and win a Belgian Cup final. The victory marks Genk's first Belgian Cup in eight years and their fifth overall.
The victory also secures Genk’s automatic qualification for next season's Europa League playoff round, and it was the club's first trophy since they won the Belgian top-flight title and Super Cup in 2019.
It's a dream end to the season for the 22-year-old center back, who was transferred to the Belgian side back in January after a breakout campaign with Philadelphia in 2020. McKenzie was a linchpin in central defense for the Union, which culminated with the club's first-ever Supporters' Shield title and led to his move overseas after a slew of rumors and reported interest.
McKenzie joined former Columbus Crew SC goalkeeper Zack Steffen as US internationals to take home a European trophy on Sunday, with Steffen becoming the fourth US international to win the Carabao Cup as he manned a clean sheet in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Tottenham at Wembley Stadium
