kids encyclopedia robot

Andre Blake facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Andre Blake
Andre Blake - Philadelphia Union (cropped).jpg
Blake with the Philadelphia Union in 2017
Personal information
Full name Andre Jason Blake
Date of birth (1990-11-21) 21 November 1990 (age 33)
Place of birth May Pen, Jamaica
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club Philadelphia Union
Number 18
Youth career
Sporting Central Academy
Harbour View
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014– Philadelphia Union 235 (0)
National team
Jamaica U17
Jamaica U20
Jamaica U23
2014– Jamaica 75 (0)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Jamaica
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Runner-up 2015 United States–Canada Team
Runner-up 2017 United States Team
CONCACAF Nations League
Third 2024 United States Team
Caribbean Cup
Winner 2014 Jamaica Team
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 March 2024.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 03:16, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

Andre Jason Blake (born 21 November 1990) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer and captains the Jamaica national team.

Early career

After playing with Sporting Central Academy and Harbour View, Blake spent three years playing college soccer at UConn, before signing a Generation Adidas contract with Major League Soccer. He registered 37 shutouts over his three years in goal for the Huskies, winning the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2011 and 2012 and the AAC Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2013. He was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy in 2013.

Club career

Blake was selected by Philadelphia Union first overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Originally anticipated to be the Union's starting goalkeeper, he was deputized to the bench when the Union signed designated player Raïs M'Bolhi. Blake made his first appearance for the Union in a friendly match against Crystal Palace in July 2014. He made his first competitive start for the Union in a 1–0 win against Montreal Impact, who debuted Didier Drogba as their new designated player. Blake started for five of the remaining eight matches in the 2015 season. On 26 September 2015, playing against New England Revolution, Blake set a Union team record for saves in a match with 10 stops to preserve a 1–1 draw.

During the 2016 season, Blake cemented himself as the clear starting goalkeeper for the Union. In July 2016, he was included in the roster for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game. He was also selected to the 2019 MLS All-Star Game as the Union's only representative.

During the 2020 season, Blake earned accolades for his performances including the Golden Glove for the MLS is Back Tournament, his second MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, and second selection to the MLS Best XI. Blake posted a 77.8 save percentage and allowed only 18 goals, leading the league in both stats for goalkeepers with 20 or more appearances. He also led the league in wins (13) and posted eight clean sheets.

In July 2021, Blake signed a contract extension with the Union through the 2024 season, with a club option for 2025. In August, Blake was announced as a selection to the 2021 MLS All-Star Game versus the Liga MX All-Stars.

International career

Blake made his debut Jamaica national football team start on 2 March 2014, versus Barbados, a 2–0 win. Blake earned his first medal for Jamaica later that year, winning the 2014 Caribbean Cup and earning the Golden Gloves award in the process.

Blake started all six matches during the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, helping Jamaica advance to the final and ultimately finishing runner-up to the United States. Blake left the final injured due to a hand injury, but was awarded the tournament's Golden Glove (the first Jamaican to do so) and a spot in the Best XI for his performances.

During the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Blake again started all matches, helping Jamaica win the group stage. The Reggae Boyz won the quarter-final match against Panama, with Blake securing his 14th career shutout via a 1–0 victory. Advancing to the semi-finals, Jamaica was knocked out of the tournament, again by the United States.

During the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Blake was called up alongside Philadelphia Union teammates Cory Burke and Alvas Powell. Making four appearances for the Reggae Boyz during the competition, Jamaica was ultimately knocked out during the quarterfinals against the United States.

Personal life

Blake is a Christian. He is married, and has two children. He earned his U.S. green card in the summer of 2015, qualifying him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes. In 2021, Blake and his wife opened a sports bar, Blake's Kickout Sports Bar and Lounge, in his hometown of May Pen.

Produced by Fulwell 73, FIFA released Captains in 2022, an eight-part sports docuseries following six national team captains in their respective 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns. Blake, representing Jamaica, starred alongside Thiago Silva (Brazil), Luka Modrić (Croatia), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Hassan Maatouk (Lebanon) and Brian Kaltak (Vanuatu). It was released by Netflix and also shown on FIFA's own streaming platform, FIFA+.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League U.S. Open Cup Playoffs Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Philadelphia Union 2014 MLS 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
2015 6 0 1 0 0 0 7 0
2016 32 0 2 0 1 0 35 0
2017 26 0 0 0 0 0 26 0
2018 33 0 4 0 1 0 38 0
2019 26 0 0 0 2 0 28 0
2020 21 0 1 0 3 0 25 0
2021 26 0 2 0 6 0 34 0
2022 34 0 0 0 3 0 37 0
2023 27 0 1 0 3 0 5 0 7 0 43 0
2024 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 6 0
Career total 235 0 9 0 13 0 14 0 10 0 281 0

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Jamaica 2014 9 0
2015 4 0
2016 9 0
2017 9 0
2018 4 0
2019 10 0
2020 0 0
2021 11 0
2022 8 0
2023 9 0
2024 2 0
Total 75 0

Honours

Philadelphia Union

Jamaica

Individual

  • MLS is Back Tournament Golden Glove: 2020
  • MLS is Back Tournament Best XI: 2020
  • MLS All-Star: 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022
  • MLS Goalkeeper of the Year: 2016, 2020, 2022
  • MLS Best XI: 2016, 2020, 2022
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Glove Award: 2017
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2017

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Andre Blake para niños

kids search engine
Andre Blake Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.