Philadelphia Union Goalkeeper Andre Blake Named To 2019 MLS All-Star Game
Blake to represent Philadelphia at 2019 MLS All-Star Game in Orlando; MLS All-Stars to take on Atlético Madrid in annual summer spectacle
CHESTER, Pa. (June 24, 2019) – Philadelphia Union today announced that goalkeeper Andre Blake has been named to the gameday roster for the 2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. The match pits the MLS All-Stars vs. 10-time La Liga champions Atlético Madrid and takes place at Exploria Stadium in Orlando on Wednesday, July 31 (8 p.m. ET, FS1 / UniMás / TSN / TVA Sports).
Blake is an MLS All-Star for the second time after previously being named to the squad in 2016. That year, against Premier League side Arsenal, he started the match and played the first 45 minutes. The Jamaican is the first player in Union history to be named as an All-Star more than once.
The complete list of all-time Union All-Stars is as follows:
2010: Sebastien Le Toux
2011: Faryd Mondragon
2012: Michael Farfan, Carlos Valdes
2013: Jack McInerney
2014: Maurice Edu
2016: Andre Blake, Keegan Rosenberry
2019: Andre Blake
The All-Star recognition is another individual accolade for Blake, who was named MLS Best XI and the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2016, his first All-Star season. He also won the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper in the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup.
This year, he has started 12 matches, recording 22 saves with a 1.47 goals-against average and two shutouts. He is currently with the Jamaican national team at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, where the Reggae Boyz are atop Group C following Blake’s clean sheet against El Salvador last Friday. Blake and Jamaica play against Curacao tomorrow in Los Angeles, and will be guaranteed to advance to the Knockout Stage with a victory.
The MLS All-Stars will face a tough opponent in Atlético Madrid, one of most decorated clubs in the world. Atlético Madrid’s 10 La Liga championships rank among the top three in Spain. With 30 trophies won across all competitions, the 2018 Europa League champions finished the 2018-2019 season second in the La Liga standings. The match will be televised in more than 170 countries around the world.
