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Former Union Player Scored an Absolute Belter in the UEFA Champions League
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Sam Adeniran played seven games for the Philadelphia Union in 2024 and did not score a goal.
Here he is on Tuesday evening with a banger against Celtic F.C. in the UEFA Champions League play off:
What a hit! That’s 25 yards out, a one-time side foot hit, just floated into the corner. Sometimes you gotta go for placement over power.
He scored another one later, on his weaker right foot, to complete the comeback and knock out Celtic on a 5-4 aggregate:
This is flabbergasting because Adeniran played 137 minutes for the Union in 2024. They traded for him halfway through the season and he made a handful of substitute appearances off the bench, mustering 10 shots and no goals.
Then he left as a free agent in the winter, a deal that Transfermarkt reported was pre-agreed:
Austrian Bundesliga side LASK have completed their first transfer of the winter transfer window. On Monday, the club announced the signing of striker Samuel Adeniran. The 26-year-old US striker joins the club from the Philadelphia Union and has signed a contract until 2028. According to the Linz-based club, the transfer concluded last summer.
Transfermarkt understands that the Adeniran transfer to Linz was concluded before St. Louis CITY SC traded the striker to the Philadelphia Union. As his contract was set to expire at the end of the season, Adeniran was free to negotiate with clubs outside of Major League Soccer.
“Even though the signing was concluded before I joined the club, I am very happy about the Samuel Adeniran transfer,” head coach and sporting director Markus Schopp said in a club statement. “He is an exciting profile; his strength and physical attributes can add something to our game.”
Funny how these things work out. This guy was here for a cup a coffee, then went on to score double-digit goals for LASK in his first two seasons and win the Austrian league. Now he’s out here scoring bangers in the UCL. Go figure.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com