Andre Blake

 

2018 (Philadelphia): Blake made 33 regular-season appearances (33 starts) in goal, registering a 14-14-5 record with a career-best 10 shutouts. He kept a clean sheet on opening day with a three-save blanking of New England (March 3), and again allowed zero goals in his second start of the season, vs. Columbus (March 17). Internationally, he earned his 32nd international cap during a start for Jamaica in a friendly vs. Antigua and Barbuda, which ended in a 1-1 draw (March 25). He became the Union's all-time saves leader, passing Zac MacMath, with three stops as part of a win at Chicago (July 11). Continuing his strong form, he kept back-to-back clean sheets in home wins vs. NYCFC (August 18) and New England (August 25) and was named to the MLS Team of the Week (Week 26) for his performance in the latter. He notched his third straight shutout with a three-save blanking at D.C. United (August 29), tying the Union record for most goalkeeper wins in a single season (12). After receiving a call-up from Jamaica ahead of a friendly vs. Ecuador (September 7) and a home 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifier vs. the Cayman Islands (September 9); he started the latter match, his 33rd cap, recording a shutout in a 4-0 win. He kept his ninth clean sheet of the season while setting the Union single-season saves record in the win at Seattle (September 19). Following that up, he set a new single-season career best with his 10th shutout, at Columbus (September 29) and was named to the MLS Team of the Week (Week 31). Blake was called-up again by Jamaica ahead of a CONCACAF Nations League qualifier at Bonaire (October 14), in which he started and kept a clean sheet in a 6-0 victory. He also started the Union's Knockout Round postseason match at NYCFC (October 31). In the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Blake made four appearances (four starts) in goal. He made his season debut in the tournament as part of the Round of 16 win over the Red Bulls (June 16). He kept a clean sheet in the Quarterfinals win over Orlando (July 18) and recorded another shutout in the Semifinals win over Chicago (August 8).

 

2017 (Philadelphia): Blake made 26 appearances (all starts) for the Union, compiling a 9-10-7 record with a career-best nine shutouts. He was named a finalist for the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second straight season. After Blake's third consecutive clean sheet, at D.C. United (May 13), it marked just the second time in Union history that the team registered three straight clean sheets. He then took the streak to 363 minutes, setting a high watermark for any goalkeeper in MLS at the time, with his fourth consecutive shutout, vs. Houston (May 17). It was the first time that any Union team ever recorded four straight shutouts as well as the second longest individual shutout streak (by minutes) in team history. He extended the streak to 378 minutes as part of a 2-1 win against Colorado (May 20), the Union's record fourth straight victory. He was called-up by Jamaica to represent the Reggae Boyz in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, leading the team to the final and winning the tournament's Golden Gloves award as well as a Best XI nomination.

 

2016 (Philadelphia): Blake broke out in 2016, starting 32 matches for the Union en route to being named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. He went 10-13-9 with 99 saves over a career-high 2,880 minutes played.  He also started two U.S. Open Cup matches and the Union’s postseason contest at Toronto FC. Midway through the campaign, Blake was also named to the 2016 MLS All-Star squad along with Keegan Rosenberry, where he started the contest against Arsenal.

 

2015 (Philadelphia): The Jamaican international made six appearances (all starts) for the Union, all down the stretch of the 2015 season. He started six of the final eight matches after recovering from knee injuries, going 2-3-1 with 26 saves over 540 minutes played. He made 10 saves against New England on September 26, 2015, setting a club record. He also started the final of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against Sporting Kansas City, a narrow penalty shootout loss for Philadelphia.

 

2014 (Philadelphia): Blake was selected by Philadelphia first overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, the first goalkeeper ever to be taken first overall in the history of the event. During his rookie season, he made one appearance (one start) for Philadelphia, on August 16, 2014 at Houston. He also started the Union’s U.S. Open Cup match against Harrisburg (June 18, 2014), a 3-1 victory for Philadelphia.

 

 

Blake regularly features as Jamaica’s number one goalkeeper and has earned 35 caps for the Reggae Boyz. His debut came in a friendly against Barbados on March 3, 2014. He has since started for Jamaica in the 2014 Caribbean Cup as well as FIFA World Cup qualification and the Copa America Centenario 2016, where he played every minute of every match. He received his first call-up of the 2017 season ahead of a friendly against Peru in Lima (June 13). He started that match and made five saves, earning his 24th cap in the process. He also received a call-up to represent Jamaica during the Group Stage in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He kept a clean sheet while wearing the captain's armband during a 2-0 win over Curacao to begin the tournament (July 9). Serving as the captain again, he registered his second consecutive shutout in Jamaica's next tournament game, vs. Mexico (July 14). Completing the Group Stage with Jamaica in second place, Blake earned his 27th cap against El Salvador (July 16). In the Quarterfinals, he made four saves in his 28th cap en route to a 2-1 win over Canada (July 20), helping Jamaica reach the Semifinals. One match later, in cap number 29, while still serving as Jamaica's captain, he made five saves en route to another shutout over Mexico (July 23) as Jamaica advanced to the Final. Blake started the Final (July 26), his 30th cap, but left early due to a hand injury. Following the tournament, he was named the Golden Gloves winner as well as to the Best XI for the event.

 

Following the Gold Cup, Blake's next call-up came ahead of an international friendly at Canada (September 2). He started that contest, earning his 31st cap. He was called-up ahead of an additional friendly, at Saudi Arabia (October 7), but did not travel.

 

In 2018, Blake received his first call-up of the year ahead of a friendly against Antigua and Barbuda in Kingston (March 25), which he started for his 32nd cap. He received his second call-up of the year in September, ahead of a friendly vs. Ecuador at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey (September 7), and a home contest against the Cayman Islands in 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification (September 9). Blake did not appear in the first contest, but he started the second for his 33rd cap, keeping a clean sheet as part of a 4-0 win. He received another call-up ahead of Jamaica's second qualifier, away to Bonaire (October 14) -- where he started and kept a clean sheet -- as well as their third, home vs. Suriname (November 17), which he started in a 2-1 win.

 

 

Blake registered 37 shutouts and a 46-10-12 record in three years at the University of Connecticut, earning Conference Goalkeeper of the Year awards each season (two Big East, one American Athletic Conference). A semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy as a junior, he also earned All-Big East first team, NSCAA First Team All-American, Soccer America MVP First Team and Soccer America All-Freshman First Team recognition during his time at UConn. 

 

 

Selected by the Philadelphia Union in the First Round (First Overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft on January 16, 2014. Signed to a new multi-year contract using Targeted Allocation Money on January 17, 2018.

 

Name: Andre Blake

Position: Goalkeeper

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 172

Born: November 21, 1990 in May Pen, Jamaica

Hometown: May Pen, Jamaica

Citizenship: Jamaica

Acquired: Selected by the Philadelphia Union in the First Round (first overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft on January 16, 2014. Signed to a new multi-year contract using Targeted Allocation Money on January 17, 2018.