“Our goalkeeper is the best in the league.”
That’s the message Head Coach Jim Curtin shared after Philadelphia Union’s 3-1 win against Club Tijuana in the squad’s opening match of the inaugural Leagues Cup tournament on Saturday night.
The team maintained a healthy 2-0 lead through the first half after a conversion from Daniel Gazdag, who hasn’t missed from the penalty spot yet this season, plus the first fixture of Julián Carranza’s brace. But Club Tijuana refused to surrender, forcing a chippy opening to the second half that caused Philadelphia to rely on Blake's world-class net-protecting ability.
Saturday was Blake's second game back in goal at Subaru Park since returning from the Jamaican National Team's run at the Concacaf Gold Cup, and his presence made all the difference.
Tijuana’s top scorer forward Carlos González put his team back in contention with a goal in the 46th minute. Soon after, his teammate forward Alexis Canelo earned a penalty opportunity that could’ve equalized the score, but Blake stopped the shot, halting the Mexican team’s momentum.
“We’re really lucky to have him, he made some big saves tonight. Obviously, the PK at that moment can really change the game and he made a big play for us because if it goes 2-2, you’re in a scramble and you're in a real dogfight and you've given them a lot of belief,’ Curtin said about the save.
Blake made four stops on the night, stifling Club Tijuana’s offensive efforts and providing further evidence to support Curtin’s postgame sentiment.
“I think if they went 2-2, it could have affected us in a negative way and obviously, for anyone to get a big confidence booster it could have turned the game,” Blake said.
“I'm pretty sure most Mexican teams are really good at closing the game out. I think it was an important save at an important time.”
