CHESTER, Pa. – Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake believes he probably would have played in the Gold Cup had he gotten playing time with Philly before getting called up by Jamaica.
But he didn’t.
And he might be playing for the Union now had he gotten playing time in the Gold Cup.
But he didn’t.
It’s just been that kind of year for Blake, the highly touted former No. 1 overall pick who has now missed big opportunities at both the club and international level because of a couple of untimely knee injuries.
“I feel like I’m 100 percent, but sometimes it’s not really what you feel,” Blake said following Wednesday’s training session. “I’ve just got to keep pushing and maybe if I think I’m 100 percent, maybe I need to push to 110, 120.”
Blake, who the Union selected first in the 2014 SuperDraft, was prepared to take over the starting role for the Union in May before he tore his right meniscus – in the other knee from the one he needed surgery on in the preseason.
Blake’s rehab went well enough to get called in by Jamaica for the Gold Cup last month. But after leading his country to the Caribbean Cup title in November, the goalkeeper was relegated to third-string during Jamaica’s stirring run to the Gold Cup final.
“I felt ready,” he said. “But I went in, and the first thing [Jamaica coach Winfried Schafer] said to me was, ‘Did you play at your club?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And I think having said that to him, I guess that’s where he was like, ‘OK you’re shorter on match practice.’ And he didn’t play me.
“I was on the bench, but I can tell you that I took a lot away from the Gold Cup,” he added. “It was a great experience, and I think I came out being a better goalkeeper.”
Blake hoped to use that experience to finally crack the Union’s lineup after playing just one league match in the last two seasons. And a door appeared to open for him last week when starter Brian Sylvestre got a nasty cut on his hand that kept him out of Saturday’s loss to the Red Bulls.
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But Union head coach Jim Curtin opted to go with John McCarthy vs. the Red Bulls, a 3-1 Philly loss, and is likely to stick with him for this Saturday’s game at Orlando City SC (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
“Andre continues to do better in training,” Curtin said. “He’s a guy who we were hoping would get minutes at the Gold Cup, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. He still continues to get better in training each day. And right now, the way things have gone, he would be behind Johnny. But he’s pushing.”
Although it looks like Blake won’t make his season debut this weekend, he’ll still be able to offer his teammates a scouting report of Cyle Larin, Orlando City’s record-setting rookie that he played with at the University of Connecticut before both were picked first overall in back-to-back drafts.
“Honestly, if I said [I was surprised], I’d be lying,” Blake said of Larin, who’s already tied the MLS rookie record for goals in a season with 11. “I played with him at UConn, and this guy just needs an opportunity. He’s always going to score goals. I played with him for an entire year, and I know that this guy can score.
“He’s a guy that once you let him get into a game and let him get a little bit into it, he can do great stuff.”
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
