What started with his name called first at the 2014 MLS SuperDraft has grown into a special moment at Subaru Park on Wednesday night as Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake makes his 200th MLS regular season start.
During his nine seasons with the Union, Blake has amassed three MLS All-Star Appearances, two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Awards and literally owns the entire record book of the Union. Wednesday night he enters looking to rewrite one of his own records with 12 clean sheets in 2022.
“To see him go through some adversity early on in his career with injuries and not getting the opportunity to be a starter right away. He put his head down, keep quiet and work hard to now see his rise to be the best goalkeeper that our league has, has been awesome to watch,” Head Coach Jim Curtin said on Blake. “ I’ve loved watching his leadership in the locker room where when he speaks, everyone listens. He is a big part of the culture change at this club and us getting to our winning ways. Andre Blake will be up there next to Seba in the stadium alongside Ale Bedoya but I cannot say enough about Andre. To watch him grow and improve little aspects of his game every year. If you watch him now with his feet, he adds a layer to his game and he is never satisfied.”
In his previous 199 starts, Blake has made 625 saves in nearly 18,000 minutes of MLS regular season action. Blake has racked up 62 clean sheets and sports an impressive 1.25 goals against average.
