He is a true two-footed player. That alone will keep him in the conversation as depth. Does need to demonstrate he has cleaned things up and pairing him with taller CB’s is probably a good thing.
The goal: MARK MCKENZIE GOAL 🇺🇸 The 24-year-old defender gives Genk the lead over Club Brugge with this towering header. Another @PhilaUnion Academy product thriving abroad. Philly makes, the world takes. 💙https://t.co/vAgpU6DLiI— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) April 30, 2023
Sure hope they get that title. Hopefully one more season plus CL action should secure him a move to a top 5 league.
Yesterday's result between Union and Antwerp was good on the surface for Genk. But Antwerp has been playing very well right now. 5 more matches to go.
Wow. Schoofs with a 10 rating. How often are those? At any rate, eager to see if McKenzie can help get Genk over the line. A Championship would be awesome but 2nd place gets them to the CL qualifiers.
Next match - 7 May 2023 Royal Antwerp @ Genk 12:30 PM EST on ESPN+ McKenzie, unless hurt will start. This is a huge match as the teams are the odds on favorite to win the title.
Starts: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 🙌 #WeBelieve #mijnploeg #antgnk pic.twitter.com/nhFjZtun2i— KRC Genk (@KRCGenkofficial) May 7, 2023
20' I OUR AMERICAN BOY 😍#antgnk #mijnploeg #WeBelieve pic.twitter.com/WqUmAUfGJV— KRC Genk (@KRCGenkofficial) May 7, 2023
I haven't found a shareable video, but the match is on ESPN+ and they have live rewind. He hit an opener header directly to the GK, who was falling backward and couldn't control. McKenzie then poked it in to make sure.
Looks like they lost 2-1. Genk with 2 late red cards. Not sure if McKenzie was to blame for the PK or the other goal.
He was not, on the contrary, he was their best players in defense. Four games left in the Championship round.
His reaction to his teammate getting his pocket picked at the top of the box carelessly was priceless. That was the giveaway that made it 2-1 Antwerp. Really bad play. I think he has been their best player in this slump form what I have seen.I have not watched all of the matches and not all of the minutes but he has looked better to me than when they were winning.
It sure looks that way. They were way out in front several months ago and now are tied on points with Union for 2nd place. Only ahead on GD. If they fall into 3rd then they lose their Champions League Qualifier slot. Brugge is way too far behind to have to worry about losing the Europa position... but it certainly is starting to look like a choke job.
All goals are up here. McKenzie's starts at 11:43. The terrible defending is a little after. Also, how does Antwerp not open up the far side stands for this one. Demand for the tickets was high enough.
Next match - 14 May 2023 Union St. Gilloise vs Genk 12:30 PM EST on ESPN + McKenzie is playing well, but the team's slow demise has been like that of the Ottoman Empire. Finally they were caught last week. They need to respond and take at least 4 points from Union over the next two matches. If not, the championship is over.
Genk down 1-0 on a header on a corner. The other CB was simply beaten on a pretty straight forward headed goal. McKenzie got a yellow in t he 5th after a lunge on a Union attacker after some nice play form Union. Overall Union look like the better team, Genk can't get anything consistent going forward and Union are putting them under lots of pressure.