Philadelphia Union ‘fortunate’ to have Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake, says Jim Curtin

Fresh from winning his third Goalkeeper of the Year title, Andre Blake was once again the hero for the Philadelphia Union.

Leon Flach scored the only goal in their 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati in Thursday’s Eastern Conference Semi-Final clash. However, it was Blake who stole the headlines with a five-save performance to keep the star-studded attack of Luciano Acosta, Brenner, and Brandon Vazquez at bay.

Right now – and especially since the departure of Matt Turner to Arsenal – there is no goalkeeper in MLS who can rival Blake and Union head coach Jim Curtin is well aware of just how lucky he is to have the Jamaica international within his ranks.

“We’re fortunate to have (Blake)… It was a great game from him, he keeps you in it when you need it most,” Curtin told reporters after Thursday’s win. “Any playoff run, you need big saves from your goalkeeper.”

Of course, it’s not just Blake who deserves the credit for Thursday’s clean sheet. In front of him is MLS Defender of the Year Jakob Glesnes, while Jack Elliott, Kai Wagner, and Olivier Mbaizo are among the best in the league in their respective positions.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the best defensive team in the league keeps a clean sheet in the playoffs,” Curtin added. “The lost art of defending, I’m still a believer. That’s what wins championships.”

The Union now await the winner of CF Montreal and NYCFC in their second Eastern Conference final in as many years.

In 2021, Curtin had to deal with a flood of players going into health and safety protocols, with the likes of Blake, Wagner, Elliott, and Alejandro Bedoya among the 11 missing from the brave 2-1 defeat to eventual champions NYCFC.

There will be no such troubles this time around and Blake is excited to get a shot at redemption.

“I look forward, I’m excited,” he said. “We get another shot. It’s not very often you go to the conference final two years in a row… The guys are hungry, the guys are motivated. Hopefully this time around we’ll have everybody and give it our best shot.”

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