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Philadelphia Union: Best keeper in MLS, Andre Blake, gets an extension

By Kristian Dyer

Andre Blake #18 of the Philadelphia Union defending goal during a game between New York City FC and Philadelphia Union at Wide World of Sports on July 9, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Jeremy Reper/ISI Photos/Getty Images).
Andre Blake #18 of the Philadelphia Union defending goal during a game between New York City FC and Philadelphia Union at Wide World of Sports on July 9, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Jeremy Reper/ISI Photos/Getty Images). /
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Star goalkeeper Andre Blake stays with the Philadelphia Union

A bedrock of the Philadelphia Union and their success the past few seasons, Andre Blake will continue his stay with the current Supporters Shield holders.

The Union announced on Thursday that they have reached a contract extension with Blake. The top pick of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Blake has developed into one of the top goalkeepers in MLS and the CONCACAF region.

His quick reflexes and decisive control of the box continue to be a strong point for Blake, who has emerged as a strong distributor of the ball in recent years. There is a legitimate argument that Blake is the best goalkeeper in MLS over the past two seasons.

“Andre was the backbone of the best defense in MLS last season and has been a key piece of our club’s success the past few seasons. His high level of play has allowed us to give young defenders such as Mark McKenzie, Kai Wagner, and Olivier Mbaizo opportunities to prove themselves at the MLS level,” Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner said in a release from the club. “As the rest of the league recognized last year, we have the best keeper in North America, and he is continuously getting better. While his play speaks for itself on the field, his mentality and the leadership role he has taken in our young squad has been as equally important. We are thrilled that he will remain with our club for years to come.”

Blake has 45 international appearances for Jamaica. He is currently with Jamaica for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Andre Blake’s continued impact with the Philadelphia Union

So far this season, Blake has been tremendous for the Philadelphia Union, posting a career-high 79.6 save percentage through 12 games (all starts).

Blake’s strong play and his continued growth is a major reason why the Union have had success the past couple of years, including topping the MLS table last year. In addition, the Union are the only MLS team left in the CONCACAF Champions League.

A two-time MLS All-Star, he’s also been named the league’s top goalkeeper twice including for the 2020 season.

Follow Kristian Dyer of ‘MLS Multiplex‘ on Twitter @KristianRDyer

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