After every home win, Sons of Ben votes for a Man of the Match to ceremoniously strike the drum following the final whistle. Unsurprisingly, this weekend’s selection was Daniel Gazdag, who bagged a hat trick to lift his team to a 3-0 win, but before he took the mallet, he invited goalkeeper Andre Blake to take part in the tradition along with him.
Blake’s teammates and coaches alike agree that his presence on the pitch is unparalleled. In just his second game back from injury, he made three momentous saves to keep a clean sheet and secure the result for his team. After a long winless stretch to start the summer, Philadelphia Union earned consecutive wins with Blake back in net, and Head Coach Jim Curtin says he’s made all the difference.
“I don't want to oversimplify it. But guys, it's great goalkeeping. That's what we've had, and that's part of our foundation," Curtin said.
“People say, well it's all Andre, but he’s our player. It's the same thing if you say the Lakers wouldn’t have been good without LeBron, Cleveland wouldn’t have been good without LeBron, Miami wouldn't be good without LeBron. He's our player,” Curtin said.
Blake missed 15 games while undergoing and recovering from meniscus surgery, and Philadelphia Union picked up just one win during that span. While the Union’s attack stole the show in this week’s six-point swing up the standings with consecutive hattricks from Gazdag and Tai Baribo, Curtin made sure to detail the impact of Blake's top class goalkeeping, citing his diving stop in the 84th minute as a turning-point moment of the match.
“He plays in goal, which again, I’ve said it seven weeks in a row now, doesn't get enough credit that the field players get. I think we saw that tonight again. Everyone will go home and we'll all remember three incredible goals from Dani. Good job by the team to defend and fight and get a big win here, but no one realized the difference it makes if that ball goes in and it's 2-1 with seven minutes left still,” Curtin said.
“You can start to have that thing creep back in again, where you deal with nerves and panic, but because he makes a save, we go right down and score. These are the little moments I talk about a lot, and it's as simple as having your best players on the field and having them be your best players.”
In the locker room after the match, midfielder Leon Flach shared a similar take on the captain's return and the leadership he adds to the defense.
“People underestimate how much a goalkeeper can organize a defense and he's doing a good job just talking and keeping us aware of certain situations and also giving us confidence,” Flach said.
“It makes a difference, which is understandable because this guy has been the best goalkeeper in the league for a couple of years now. So yeah, he makes a difference, and we're happy to have him back in at the right time.”
After a strenuous save in the first half, Blake went down, seemingly in discomfort. He took some time seated on the pitch, conferring with team trainers before returning to his feet, and when he did get back up, Subaru Park erupted in applause and chants of support.
In his postgame press conference, Curtin gave more context on the moment, telling the media the pause was 50% for Blake, and 50% for Jakob Glesnes, who had ripped his cleat in half and needed a footwear swap. Nonetheless, the night showed how much the team's starting net protector means to all facets of the club -- from the field and the locker room to fans in the stands.
