Union Keeper Andre Blake Called up to Jamaican National Team

Report From Philadelphia Union

CHESTER, Pa. – Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake has been called up to the Jamaican National Team for upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Costa Rica, the club announced today. Blake will be away on international duty from March 21-30.

Blake, 25, is currently in his third professional season in MLS after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Union in the 2014 SuperDraft. He currently leads MLS with 14 saves after two matches and is third in save percentage at 82.4. Blake has started nine career MLS matches and already amassed 47 saves. He’s just 22 away from moving into second place all-time in Union club history. He also broke the franchise’s single-game record for saves (with 10 against New England Revolution on Sept. 26, 2015) and secured the franchise’s first ever win, both in Montreal (keeping a clean sheet over the Impact on Aug. 22, 2015), and Columbus (a 2-1 win on March 12, 2016).

Blake’s call-up will be his first in 2016 and his third World Cup Qualifying call-up since September. The only two call-ups he’s missed over the past year have been due to injury. He was a member of the Reggae Boyz for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where Jamaica finished as runners-up, as well as making his World Cup debut in 2018 qualifiers in September as Jamaica advanced over Nicaragua. He’s made 13 career appearances on the senior team with his first coming on March 2, 2014 against Barbados where he kept a clean sheet during a 2-0 win. Blake also backboned the team to the 2014 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup championship where they defeated Trinidad and Tobago in the finals.

The Reggae Boyz will take on group-leaders Costa Rica on March 25 and March 29. Costa Rica sits atop Group B with 6 points, while Jamaica and Panama sit in a tie for second with 3 points. Haiti is in last with 0 points. Only two teams will advance out of Group B and into CONCACAF’s Fifth Round of World Cup Qualifying, better known as “The Hex”. The final two games of the Fourth Round of qualifying will take place in September 2016.