Philadelphia Union Goalkeeper Andre Blake Wins Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award
2016 MLS All-Star Blake earns Goalkeeper of the Year accolade
CHESTER, Pa. (Nov. 17, 2016) – Major League Soccer today announced that Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake has won the 2016 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award. In his first full season as the first choice goalkeeper for Philadelphia, Blake compiled a stellar campaign that saw him start 32 matches, stop 99 shots and register 10 of the Union’s 11 wins (with six shutouts) while being nominated for the League’s Save of the Week award 12 times.
Voted upon by MLS club management, media, and current players, Blake was joined by Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids) and Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls) as a finalist for the award.
Blake joined Philadelphia ahead of the 2014 season after being the first and only goalkeeper to ever be selected first overall in the MLS SuperDraft that year. The native of Jamaica recorded six or more saves on five different occasions throughout the 2016 campaign and was named as a 2016 MLS All-Star, where he served as the starter for the MLS squad against English Premier League side Arsenal FC.
Blake has also served as the first choice goalkeeper for his country’s national time, most recently backstopping Jamaica to a shutout victory over Suriname that saw the Reggae Boyz secure qualification for both the 2017 Caribbean Cup and the 2017 Gold Cup.
The goalkeeper becomes the first Philadelphia player to ever be named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year as well as the fourth member of the Union to ever capture a year-end MLS award, including the third this season alone. Blake joins Chris Pontius (2016 MLS Comeback Player of the Year), Keegan Rosenberry (2016 MLS Fair Play Award) and Sebastien Le Toux (2010 MLS Best XI, 2010 and 2011 MLS Fair Play Award) as Union players to earn a year-end League honor.
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year – All-Time Winners:
2016: Andre Blake – Philadelphia Union
2015: Luis Robles – New York Red Bulls
2014: Bill Hamid – D.C. United
2013: Donovan Ricketts – Portland Timbers
2012: Jimmy Nielsen – Sporting Kansas City
2011: Kasey Keller – Seattle Sounders FC
2010: Donovan Ricketts – LA Galaxy
2009: Zach Thornton – Chivas USA
2008: Jon Busch – Chicago Fire
2007: Brad Guzan – Chivas USA
2006: Troy Perkins – D.C. United
2005: Pat Onstad – San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Joe Cannon – Colorado Rapids
2003: Pat Onstad – San Jose Earthquakes
2002: Joe Cannon – San Jose Earthquakes
2001: Tim Howard – MetroStars
2000: Tony Meola – Kansas City Wizards
1999: Kevin Hartman – Los Angeles Galaxy
1998: Zach Thornton – Chicago Fire
1997: Brad Friedel – Columbus Crew
1996: Mark Dodd – Dallas Burn
ABOUT PHILADELPHIA UNION
Philadelphia was awarded the 16th Major League Soccer franchise on Feb. 28, 2008 and the Union were officially named on May 11, 2009. Owned and operated by Keystone Sports and Entertainment, LLC, the group launched the Philadelphia Union's inaugural season on March 25, 2010 and opened Talen Energy Stadium on June 27. Throughout the club’s seven-year history, the Union have reached the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in 2014 and 2015, and have also reached the MLS playoffs in 2011. In 2016, the Union opened their seventh year at Talen Energy Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium that has hosted internationally known clubs Celtic, Chivas de Guadalajara, Everton, Schalke 04, Aston Villa, Pumas UNAM, Stoke City, Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth. For more information about Philadelphia Union, visit
www.philadelphiaunion.com.