Tag: Andre Blake

Andre Blake a doubt for Jamaica at Copa America after knee surgery

A key player for the Reggae Boyz may end up watching Copa América from afar

Jamaica will likely have to play this summer’s Copa América without captain Andre Blake.

The Philadelphia Union announced Wednesday that the goalkeeper will miss the next four-to-six weeks after surgery to repair a small meniscus tear.

“It was a minor surgery where there were a couple of little loose flaps in there and they cleaned up his meniscus, which had a little minor, minor tear,” said Union head coach Jim Curtin.

Blake’s recovery timeline will make it very difficult for the goalkeeper to join up with the Reggae Boyz at the 2024 Copa América, which starts in just over three weeks.

A four-week recovery for the 33-year-old would prevent him from playing any part in Jamaica’s group-stage opener against Mexico on June 22. If his return-to-play process carries into the long end of his recovery timeline, Blake wouldn’t be able to play unless Jamaica went to at least the semifinals (July 9-10).

However, in quotes published by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Curtin said that he couldn’t make any declarations about Blake’s status for the tournament.

“It’ll be touch-and-go for him [at Copa América],” said Curtin. “He’s not formally out — it’ll be a week-by-week thing. I’m not here to rule Andre out of anything. Four-to-six [weeks] is just a guideline.”

Even if Blake were to return quickly, there will be questions about just how sharp he can be. The veteran has not appeared for the Union since April 30, and Blake has appeared in just eight of Philadelphia’s 19 games during the 2024 season.

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LAFC shove Philadelphia Union aside, grab spot in CONCACAF Champions League final

It was a battle, and LAFC was more ready for the fight

LAFC has once again established their bona fides as MLS’s top dog.

A rematch of last year’s incredible 2022 MLS Cup saw the same winner, with LAFC beating a 10-man Philadelphia Union 3-0 on Tuesday to seal a 4-1 aggregate win in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals.

LAFC will go on to face either Tigres or Club León in the two-legged final, with dates and kickoff times yet to be announced. Tigres holds a 2-1 lead heading into Wednesday night’s second leg.

A physical battle throughout saw LAFC, normally seen as a possession-oriented team, opt to play on the break for long spells. That approach became much easier when they took an early lead thanks to Timothy Tillman. A 13th-minute LAFC corner saw Andre Blake do a madness to deny Ilie Sánchez, with the Jamaica No. 1 somehow clawing the ball off the line.

Sánchez was left with his head in his hands, but the Union never finished the job, and Tillman was able to smash the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle.

The Union had their looks from set pieces, but either couldn’t find a finish or were turned back from fine work by John McCarthy, one of their chief tormentors at the 2022 MLS Cup final. At the other end, Blake denied Mateusz Bogusz’s curling effort with another top-drawer save towards the end of the half.

Mostly though, this seemed to be a game characterized by acrimony. Alejandro Bedoya was lucky not to see more than a yellow card for a second-minute tackle, and multiple heavy collisions were followed by jawing and the occasional shove.

With referee Drew Fischer having little option but to dole out yellow cards, someone was bound to get sent off. That fate ended up befalling Olivier Mbaizo, who clattered into Dénis Bouanga just before the hour mark and received his second yellow as a result.

The Union, who had the lion’s share of possession throughout the match, looked more measured playing 10-versus-11, but ultimately LAFC’s counter-punching posture put the contest to bed. The sequence had everything that makes them such a powerhouse: José Cifuentes battled through a tackle to find Carlos Vela, who instantly opened the field up with a glorious diagonal pass out to Kwadwo Opoku.

The young Ghanaian, who LAFC had the luxury of bringing off the bench, finished the chance with power and accuracy, leaving Blake no chance to pull off another miracle save.

Bouanga would go on to supply a 90th-minute strike as the Union were obliged to leave men forward, giving the Gabonese attacker plenty of space to add an exclamation point in front of a delighted crowd at BMO Stadium.

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Philadelphia Union grind it out, besting FC Cincinnati 1-0 in MLS playoffs

The Union were just a little bit better in a bruising battle with Cincy

MLS playoff wins are often a long way from pretty, and if that’s how it has to be, the Philadelphia Union are ready.

Philadelphia and FC Cincinnati duked it out at Subaru Park Thursday night, and the Union did just enough in a physical battle to take a 1-0 decision. Leon Flach, who hadn’t scored a goal all season, picked up the game-winner in the second half of a hotly contested Eastern Conference semifinal.

The Union front three of Julián Carranza, Dániel Gazdag, and Mikael Uhre combined for 49 goals and 25 assists on the season. Cincinnati had pretty much the same situation with their attacking trio: Luciano Acosta, Brenner, and Brandon Vazquez totaled 49 goals and 25 assists in MLS this year.

And yet, the stars of this battle ended up being eaten up for long spells by the unsung players in the respective engine rooms. Philadelphia’s ferocious pressing and defensive organization meant the visitors never had time to think. Going the other way, Obinna Nwobodo was seemingly everywhere for Cincy, preventing the Union from assembling any passing fluency.

It was fitting that when the Union broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, it wasn’t an attack-first Designated Player. It wasn’t even a star fullback like Kai Wagner, or a set piece. It was Flach, the midfield shuttler  — that’s Leon “zero goals in 2022” Flach — sweeping the ball past Roman Celentano after a scramble inside the Cincinnati box.

They say goals change games, and while Cincinnati did go for a classic center back out/striker in substitution, with Ian Murphy coming off for Sergio Santos, the game largely remained a hectic scrap. Referee Tim Ford somehow only gave out five yellow cards as the tackles continued to fly in, and if any big-name player stood out, it was Union goalkeeper Andre Blake.

Ultimately, while both of these teams are capable of some lovely soccer, the fact is that they’re two of the rough-and-tumble East’s roughest, tumblingest teams. This was never likely to become a game about technical proficiency. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Philly is just a little bit more comfortable with the sort of battle this game turned into, and that’s why the Union are off to the conference final.

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Andre Blake becomes first three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year

Blake’s teammate Jakob Glesnes also earned a major award on Wednesday

Andre Blake has become the first person in MLS history to win the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year award three times.

The Philadelphia Union shot-stopper won the 2022 award on Wednesday, adding it to his previous wins in 2016 and 2020.

Blake played every minute for the Union in 2022, helping the team to a league-best 26 goals conceded on the season. The total was also the fewest ever conceded by an MLS team during a 34-game season.

The Jamaica international won the award in a landslide, capturing 64 percent of the overall vote while Djordje Petrović (5%) and Drake Callender (4%) finished in second and third place.

After being drafted by the Union in 2014, Blake has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers the league has ever seen. At 31 and already the league’s most decorated goalkeeper ever, Blake is likely to go down in the pantheon of all-time MLS greats.

Glesnes wins Defender of the Year

After a record-breaking season for the Union’s defense, it’s not a surprise that another player from Philadelphia, Jakob Glesnes, was named the 2022 MLS Defender of the Year.

Glesnes is the first Union player to win the award, and he narrowly edged out his teammate Kai Wagner for the prize.

Like Blake, Glesnes also played every minute for the Union in 2022, the second straight season he achieved the feat.

Wagner finished second in the voting for the award, with Alexander Callens of NYCFC coming in third.

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MLS announces 2022 year-end award finalists

The league will have a first-time MVP winner as five players were named finalists

Major League Soccer has announced its year-end award finalists for 2022, with five players up for the league’s MVP award including LA Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernández.

Chicharito is joined by Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, Golden Boot winner Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC, Golden Boot runner-up Sebastián Driussi of Austin FC and Cristian “Chicho” Arango of Supporters’ Shield winner LAFC.

None of the five finalists have ever won an MLS MVP award, with Mukhtar (2021) and Blake (2020) having been finalists once before.

The year-end award finalists earned the most votes in polling of the following three voting groups:

  • Current MLS players
  • MLS clubs (coaches, technical directors/general managers)
  • Select media members

Winners of the awards will be announced throughout the MLS playoffs, which will kick off on Saturday. The MLS Best XI will be announced on November 1.

MLS year-end award finalists

Landon Donovan MLS MVP

  • Cristian “Chicho” Arango (LAFC)
  • Andre Blake (PHI)
  • Sebastián Driussi (ATX)
  • Javier “Chicharito” Hernández (LA)
  • Hany Mukhtar (NSH)

Young Player of the Year

  • Thiago Almada (ATL)
  • Brenner (CIN)
  • Jesús Ferreira (DAL)

Defender of the Year

  • Alexander Callens (NYC)
  • Jakob Glesnes (PHI)
  • Kai Wagner (PHI)

Goalkeeper of the Year

  • Andre Blake (PHI)
  • Drake Callender (MIA)
  • Djordje Petrovic (NE)

Comeback Player of the Year

  • Jeremy Ebobisse (SJ)
  • Gonzalo Higuaín (MIA)
  • Kei Kamara (MTL)

Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year

  • Steve Cherundolo (LAFC)
  • Jim Curtin (PHI)
  • Wilfried Nancy (MTL)

MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year

  • Alejandro Bedoya (PHI)
  • Kei Kamara (MTL)
  • Brad Stuver (ATX)

MLS Referee of the Year

  • Allen Chapman
  • Ismail Elfath
  • Armando Villarreal

MLS Assistant Referee of the Year

  • Ian Anderson
  • Chris Elliott
  • Corey Rockwell

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