Andre Blake

The Philadelphia Union custodian led all goalkeepers in the MLS is Back Tournament with 32 saves, the most in the competition. This translated into him saving 86.5 per cent of shots at the Union goal, also best in the league.

Of Blake’s 32 saves, 19 of them came on shots from inside the penalty area.

Blake kept two clean sheets, a seven-save shutout of New York City FC in a 1-0 win in both teams' Group An opener, and a 1-0 shutout of the New England Revolution in the Round of 16.

According to the JFF, the performance is deserving of high praise.

 “Any award received for outstanding performance in a tournament after a three-month lockdown must be seen through different eyes and must be highly respected,” the JFF said in a statement Thursday.

“Following a period when training would have been challenging, when interaction with fellow players would be highly restricted and there was less physical contact with coaches, only extraordinary personal discipline, determination and focus would allow a player to give outstanding performances ahead of his peers. Blake also received the Award for Save of the Tournament for the game Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC played on July 9.

“Andre Blake has always showed those characteristics throughout his playing career and the JFF is indeed proud that he will be leading the Qatar Motivated campaign of our Reggae Boyz in which these same characteristics plus his proven leadership qualities will be on display.”

It was Whitmore’s 100^th game in charge of the national team and Tuesday’s impressive win means that the former Jamaica midfielder now boasts a record 52 wins, 16 draws, and 32 losses. As a player, Whitmore also represented Jamaica on more than 100 occasions, making yesterday’s game a historic landmark in the head coach’s career.

“This game was special for us,” Ricketts said in a congratulatory message to the head coach.

“Coach Whitmore has been with the team since 2007 in different capacities and has managed to rack up a great record in a very competitive region. I want to extend my personal congratulations and that of the Federation to him and hope that he will be around for at least another 100 games.

“I want to assure the coach that he will be given all the support he needs as he tries to get us back to a World Cup Final. Congrats coach!”

President Ricketts also congratulated the team and the rest of the technical staff for a truly Jamaican effort in ensuring that this milestone was special for a legend of Jamaica's football. 

As Jamaica commemorates the week in which the country qualified for its first World Cup, 23 years ago, President Ricketts used the opportunity to also congratulate Khadija Shaw for her spectacular performances in the French Women’s League where she was awarded Player of the Month of October and Reggae Boyz captain Andre Blake, who was selected as the best goalkeeper in the MLS for a second time.

"These accomplishments amongst others achieved in recent years is a testimony to the progress made and to the enormous potential of Jamaica's football and our players for the future," he said.

 Both players were excluded from a Jamaica 30-man squad because they have not yet signed wage contracts with the Jamaica Football Federation. As a result, neither player has been included in a 30-man Jamaica squad set to leave on May 30 for matches against number 28^th ranked Japan on Thursday, June 3 in Sakura; 25^th ranked Serbia on Monday, June 7 in Kobe, and the Japanese Olympic team on June 12 in Nagoya.

Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts revealed that the management of the Bayer Leverkusen winger has committed to signing his contract but they have yet to do so. “There is a little bit of tardiness on behalf of Leon and his management. They have not yet signed the contract. I think we would have gotten a verbal commitment that he would so in short order,” Ricketts said.

“Same thing goes for Michail Antonio. His agent has indicated that they have not yet gone through the document in its entirety so they will do so in short order as soon as they have gone through and are comfortable with the content of the document.

“So, we are hopeful that these contracts will be signed soon and based on indications from Coach Whitmore these players will be part of the set-up as soon as the contracts are signed.”

The JFF president said other players could also join the squad as soon as ongoing discussions have been successfully concluded.

Meanwhile, the 30-man squad will include Andre Blake, Dennis Taylor, Jaedine White, Dillon Barnes, Adrian Mariappa, Kasey Palmer, Amari Bell, Kemar Lawrence, Wesley Harding, Oneil Fisher, Alvas Powell, Devon Williams, Kevon Lambert, Ravel Morrison, Blair Turgott, Junior Flemmings, Damion Lowe, Luca Levee, Tyreek McGhee, Lamar Walker, Bobby Reid, Javon East, Shemar Nicholson, Cory Burke, Andre Gray, Jashaun Anglin, Ethan Pinnock, Michael Hector, Kevaugn Isaacs, Liam Moore.

Coach Theodore Whitmore said as the team approaches a crucial period in its preparation, the players are required to consistently bring out their best.

“This is an important year for the Reggae Boyz insofar as international competition is concerned. The CONCACAF Gold Cup is slated for July and the FIFA 2020 World Cup qualifiers will kick off in September. We will be very busy during the second half of this year,” Whitmore said. “We welcome the two matches against Japan and Serbia. These are important games to fine-tune preparations for the Gold Cup.

“We anticipate a very competitive roster. Each player, domestic and foreign-based, must use every available opportunity to perform and press their case for selection. We have spent the last three years looking, moulding and preparing. Now is the time to deliver.

“We need each player to challenge himself and take responsibility, to be accountable on and off the pitch for performance and conduct. The standards and expectations are high.”

Whitmore also commended the JFF and the players for settling the wage dispute which has now removed an obstacle from their period of preparation and urged Corporate Jamaica to support the team as he believes has the talent to achieve their goal of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Whitmore scored both goals in Jamaica’s 2-1 victory over Japan during the 1998 World Cup in France but the Reggae Boyz lost their encounter against the Japanese 1-0 in 2014.

Jamaica last played Serbia in 2017 and lost that match 2-1.

President Ricketts said the JFF is satisfied with the safety arrangements to be put in place for the three matches.

Henry Martin opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, before Luis Chavez (30th) inflicted more pain, leaving substitute Roberto Alvarado (90+3) to throw salt in the Jamaicans wounds and send eight-time champions Mexico into their third-consecutive Gold Cup final.

They will meet 2005 and 2013 finalists Panama in Sunday’s final, after the Central Americans defeated United States 5-4 on sudden-death penalty after playing out a 1-1 stalemate in full and extra time at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

With a large turnout of Jamaican spectators inside the 61,000-capacity stadium, the Reggae Boyz, who were finalists in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments, and also 2019 semi-finalist, started with a burst of purpose but it evaporated as briskly as it started.

This, as Mexico won possession from the failed Jamaican attack, in the middle of the park and broke down the right channel.  A long pass switching the point of attack was picked up by Jesus Gallardo, whose pass across the 18-yard box found an unmarked Martin, who applied an easy finish beyond Andre Blake.

The Mexicans went close to doubling the lead eight minutes later, but Blake diving full stretch to his left, denied Erick Sanchez’s left-footed effort from the top of the 18-yard box.

Though the Jamaicans orchestrated a few quick breaks, using their speed an athleticism down the channels, they were unable to make it count in the final third, where the lacked composure.

In fact, it wasn’t until the 24th minute that they got a shot off at Guillermo Ochoa’s goal when Demarai Gray found space for a right-footer from outside the 18-yard box that was easily collected by the Mexican shot stopper.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, they soon found themselves two goals down at the half-hour mark when Chavez’s delightfully taken left-footed free kick from about 25 yards out, rendered a five-man wall useless, beating Blake’s full stretch dive to his right.

While the action remained lively for the most parts, neither team was able to create any more meaningful chances in the latter stages of the half, as they went to the break with the score unchanged.

Heimir Hallgrimsson made a tactical change at the top of the second half, bringing on striker Shamar Nicholson for holding midfielder Kevon Lambert and the move worked to some extent, as the Reggae Boyz started seeing more possession of the ball in the attacking third.

They went close to pulling on back in the 54th minute, after Leon Bailey orchestrated a decent buildup in which he switched the attack to Michail Antonio, who whipped a one-time pass across the face of goal, but Nicholson was late in arriving at the far post.

As the Jamaicans continued to enjoy a good passage of play with Mexico at a lull, Antonio had the opportunity to hit the target from a solo run in the 75^th minute. However, the West Ham United man was hesitant in pulling the trigger and the belated effort was charged down.

Both teams continued the probe for goals, the Jamaicans moreso, but while they came up empty in their hunt, Jaime Lozano’s side helped themselves to another. Poor defending by Damion Lowe allowed Gallardo a free run in the box to play a pass across the face of goal for Alvarado to tap in from close range in time added.

Teams: Jamaica- Andre Blake, Damion Lowe, Javain Brown (Dexter Lembikisa 51st), Kevon Lambert (Shamar Nicholson 46th), Bobby Reid, Amari'i Bell, Dishon Bernard, Joel Latibeaudiere (Daniel Johnson 85^th), Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio (Dujuan Richards 85^th)

Subs not used: Jahmali Waite, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Jonathan Russell, Kaheem Parris, Corey Burke,

Booked: Brown (29^th), Lambert (39^th), Bernard (55^th)

Mexico –Guillermo Ochoa, Jorge Sanchez, Cesar Montes, Johan Vasquez, Jesus Gallardo, Erick Sanchez (Carlos Rodriguez 62^nd), Luis Romo, Luis Chavez (Edson Alvarez 72nd), Uriel Antuna (Roberto Alvarado 72^nd), Henry Martin (Santiago Gimenez 63^rd), Orbelin Pineda (Diego Lainez 87^th)

Subs not used: Antonio Rodriguez, Angel Malagon, Julian Araujo, Gerardo Arteaga, Ozziel Herrera, Israel Reyes, Victor Guzman

Booked: Antuna (61^st), Alvarez (90^th)

Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

Assistant referee: Luis Ventura (Guatemala); Humberto Panjoj (Guatemala)

Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez (Guatemala)

With the time running out for the deadline to sign contractual obligations, the parties remain far apart in terms of wage demands put forward.  The Reggae Boyz have asked for US$7000 ($1,050,895) per player, per match for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.  The JFF has insisted that, due to financial constraints, US$ US$2000 ($300,256) is the highest that they are able to offer.

“I think that there can be a lot more marketing done to get sponsors on board and there are a lot more ways that funds can come in to compensate the players,” Blake told the SportsMax Zone.

“I think that there’s a lot more that can be done.  I don’t think there’s enough being done.  It’s almost like I am asking someone to come and work for me and that person must figure out how they are going to get paid or how I am going to pay them.  Our job is to come and play not to worry about how we are going to get paid.  The JFF has a job and they must do their job," he added.

With a 22-man squad, the players’ current demands could see the federation spend US$2,156,000 ($323,675,752) on wages for the 14-match World Cup qualification round.

Union will take on Supporters' Shield winners LAFC in the season decider on November 5 at Bank of California Stadium, with Steve Cherundolo's side easily accounting for Austin 3-0 earlier on Sunday.

Philadelphia had lost to NYC in last year's Conference Finals but a burst of goals from Julian Carranza, Daniel Gazdag and substitute Cory Burke sent them into their first-ever MLS Cup.

NYC had silenced the Subaru Park crowd when they went ahead in the 57th minute from Maxi Moralez's low strike after a cushioned pass from Santiago Rodriguez.

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake prevented a second NYC goal when he made a one-handed save to deny Alexander Callens' header.

Union capitalized on Blake's brilliance almost immediately, with Carranza slotting in a 65th-minute equalizer from Jakob Glesnes' quickly-taken free-kick.

Two minutes later Jack McGlynn's brilliant cross-field ball was headed down expertly by Carranza, splitting two defenders and setting up Gazdag to fire home for 2-1.

Burke, who had been brought on in the 62nd minute, burst forward with speed and strength to lash in a left-foot strike for 3-1 in the 76th minute.

LAFC's win over Austin was less complicated, with Cristian Arango nodding them ahead in the 29th minute, before a second-half Maximiliano Urruti own goal and Kwadwo Opoku strike settled their Conference Final.

Philadelphia and LAFC had both been top seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively, having finished the regular season equal on points.

LAFC won the Supporters' Shield due to recording more wins across the regular season. Both clubs will be aiming for their first-ever MLS Cup titles.

Yerson Mosquera got the all-important goal in the 94^th minute to send FC Cincinnati to the Eastern Conference Final.

Alvaro Barreal placed a pinpoint ball into the box which was met by Ian Murphy who headed it into the path on Mosquera. Mosquera then controlled well before firing the ball expertly past goalkeeper Andre Blake into the bottom right corner.

After a lengthy check from the Video Assistant Referee for a possible offside on Murphy was completed and ruled the goal good and the Union’s season over.

FC Cincinnati will take on the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Final on December 2.

Blake, 33, stands out as the only player to have won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award three times. Additionally, he is a four-time MLS All-Star and a three-time MLS Best XI selection, accolades that underscore his exceptional talent and consistency.

"Since joining the team, Andre has been a foundational piece to the club’s achievements," Union sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a statement. "He has shown himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in North America, and along with his proven sporting value, has taken on a leadership role both on and off the field. His guidance will play an important role in the further development of our young players and the team’s success. We’re happy to have reached an agreement to keep him here in Philadelphia."

Since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Blake has been a stalwart in goal for the Union, amassing 73 clean sheets in 236 matches. His stellar performances have been instrumental, particularly during the club’s 2020 campaign when they clinched the Supporters' Shield.

Blake's influence extends beyond club soccer. As an integral part of the Jamaican national team, he has earned 75 caps and often serves as the team's captain. His leadership and skill have helped the Reggae Boyz reach two Concacaf Gold Cup finals.

With Blake’s extension, Philadelphia Union fortify a veteran-heavy core as they aim for a seventh consecutive appearance in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. His presence in goal not only enhances the team's defensive solidity but also provides a role model for younger players coming through the ranks.

Blake’s commitment to the Union and his continued excellence between the posts signal a bright future for both the player and the club. As Philadelphia Union continue their pursuit of further silverware, having a player of Blake’s caliber and experience will undoubtedly be a significant advantage.

Blake’s heroics were required after Mikael Uhre’s late first-half goal was cancelled out by Alonso Escoboza just shy of the hour mark, as the teams played out a 1-1 stalemate in regulation and extra-time.

The 33-year-old Blake, who won the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup Golden Glove, showed his class with two diving saves in the shootout to send Philadelphia Union to the semi-finals.

Interestingly, the other semi-finalists—Columbus Crew, Los Angeles FC, and Colorado Rapids—are also Major League Soccer (MLS) outfits, and with the top three Leagues Cup finishers guaranteed a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup, it means that all three qualifiers will be United States-based MLS teams.

Columbus Crew, a 2024 Champions Cup finalist, moved closer to a Champions Cup return as they too registered a close 4-3 penalty shootout win over New York City FC.

Both teams played out a 1-1 stalemate as Alonso Martinez gave New York FC a first minute lead, which was cancelled out by Cucho Hernandez. Like Blake, Columbus Crew’s custodian Patrick Schulte also produced a stop in the shootout to help secure his team’s passage.

Elsewhere, 2020 and 2023 Champions Cup finalists Los Angeles FC powered their way into the final four with a commanding 3-0 victory over the 2022 Champions Cup winners Seattle Sounders. Ryan Hollingshead and Kei Kamara logged first-half goals, before Denis Bouanga completed the win with an early second-half strike.

Meanwhile, there were plenty of thrills in the final match of the evening as Colorado Rapids slipped past seven-time Concacaf champions Club America of Mexico 9-8 on sudden-death penalties after they battled out a scoreless encounter.

The Liga MX giants were poised to win the shootout on their fifth kick, but Rapids’ goaltender Zack Steffen denied Igor Lichnovsky. The two teams then converted their next four kicks each, before Steffen scored his kick from the 12-yard spot, while his counterpart Luis Malagon hit wide and handed Colorado Rapids the victory.

Blake finished behind Matt Turner of the New England Revolution who helped the team to its first-ever Supporters’ Shield with a new single-season points record.

Turner secured a total of 43.60 percent of the vote, followed by the Jamaican shot-stopper who claimed 10.43.  Blake has posted another solid season for the Philadelphia Union getting a total of 13 clean sheets and a save success ratio of 76 percent.  Blake previously won the award in 2016 and last year when he finished ahead of Turner.

Turner set a new Revs franchise record with 17 regular season wins, which tied him for the overall MLS lead. The goalkeeper’s 1.25 goals-against average and 74.2 save percentage both ranked in the top-10 among goalkeepers with at least 24 starts, and his two penalty kick saves were the second-most in the league.

The votes are placed by MLS club technical staff, media, and current MLS players.

The Jamaica was hoping to be the first goalkeeper to claim the award since legendary USA goalkeeper Tony Meola who won in 2000.  Blake, however, finished behind behind Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar and Austin FC's Sebastián Driussi for the for the 2022 Landon Donovan MVP Award.

The 31-year-old has already claimed fair share of silverware.  Blake became the first player in history to win the Goalkeeper of the Year award on three occasions when he claimed the nomination last week and was also received the Wanamaker Athletic Award.  The Philadelphia Union has turned in a career-high in single-season shutouts this year.

On the back of an excellent season, Blake will also have the opportunity to lift the MLS Cup on Sunday, after leading the team to a 3-1 win over New York City FC 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Championship last week.  Philadephia will face Western Conference champions and 2022 Supporters Shield winners Los Angeles Football Club in Saturday’s final.

The custodian made a triumphant return between the sticks for the Jamaica national team and certainly did his part in ensuring the team got at least a share of the points with Mexico.  Blake had missed the two previous games after pulling out of the team ahead of the first match with Suriname, following the team’s issues with Jamaica Football Federation general secretary Dalton Wint.

 The team and the JFF have had several disputes over the last few years, most notably ahead of the World Cup qualifiers when the team went on strike.  According to the player, the team would love to focus on on-the-field issues.

“If we are going to win, we have to be put in the best position to win.  For me, leadership is very important.  No matter how good you are you need people that are going to appreciate you and set you up to win,” Blake told journalists after the match.

We are going to always demand that, and we are always going to do what we need to do to get that.  When we come here to play football and just football.  So, when we come and have to deal with issues that aren’t even necessary, it’s toxic.”

The matter took on added significance when Cedella Marley, who is a mentor and fundraiser for Jamaica’s senior women’s team posted on social media that she stands behind the Philadelphia Union shot-stopper over his omission from the team.

Marley has been critical of the Jamaica Football Federation in the past over their handling of the affairs of the senior women’s team.

However, at Friday’s press conference where the JFF formally introduced Icelander Hiemir Hallgrimsson as the new head coach for the senior men’s team, the coach indicated that his selection of the team was guided by ‘technical members” of the JFF.

 “For me, in the best case scenario, it’s embarrassing. We had a talk, the case is settled he is in the squad and hopefully me as the coach can start this cooperation with the captain of the team we can have a good relationship,” he said.

According to the new coach, Blake’s omission from the Reggae Boyz squad was not intentional on his part.

 “For me, I had a short time to finish the contract, decide to come here and it’s one matter, we play Argentina in three weeks. I had to either sit in the stands or watch the game or just jump in the pool.

“I totally admit that I don’t that much about Jamaican football yet but for sure I will try to do my best to know a lot more next time. So decided to jump, and start working and the first thing was to select a squad so I had good help from the technical staff.

“The criteria for us in the first camp was to try to have players who are playing at the highest level. I hope we can start with everyone with a clean slate, so everyone has the same chance of playing for the national team. So we helped each other to select the squad based on previous national team matches and squads.”

Hallgrimsson said they looked at more than 100 players who had represented the Reggae Boyz in the last three years. “This is how we started, this is how we selected the squad,” he said.

He said that he hopes that the problems of the past between the Reggae Boyz and the JFF will remain there as Jamaica’s football looks to a brighter future.

“All projects have their problems from the past and I hope that all the things that happened in the past are in the past. I hope that when we start we don’t take the problems from the past to the present.”

Reggae Boyz goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake is hungry for more success after recently surpassing the 300-game milestone with Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Philadelphia Union.

Blake, a three-time MLS goalkeeper of the year, passed his naturalization exam earlier this month and was sworn in on Monday, july 24. He, his wife and two children are now dual citizens of the US and Jamaica.

“Becoming a US Citizen is incredible. it’s been my family’s home for the past 12 years. Our youngest was the only US citizen, and now all four of us have become citizens. Having an American passport is a privilege, and I’m proud to be a US citizen, a Philadelphian, and of course, as always, Jamaican. It’s the best of both worlds, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” Blake said.

Union head coach Jim Curtin extended his congratulations to his veteran goalkeeper.

“Andre has been an exemplary athlete and person, both on and off the field. He’s a true Philadelphian already and has been for many years, and for him to now have official citizenship is special for him and his family. His leadership, commitment to his community, and incredible talent, make him someone we want in our city and on our field forever. We extend a big congratulations to Andre, and we’re lucky to have him,” the proud coach said.

Blake is the longest-tenured player, with 231 combined MLS regular season and Audi MLS Cup playoff appearances since being drafted from the University of Connecticut in 2014.

Earlier this season, Blake passed former teammate Ray Gaddis for the most starts in team history. In 2022, Blake made history when he became the first player in MLS history to win MLS Goalkeeper of the Year three times. To add to his accolades, Blake is a four-time MLS All-Star and won the 2022 John Wanamaker Athletic Award, presented to the athlete, team, or organization which has done the most to reflect credit upon Philadelphia and the team or sport in which they excel.

He is the first men’s soccer player to receive the award since it began in 1961.

This clinic will provide exceptional goalkeeper training to more than 24 youth goalkeepers selected from the top ISSA Manning Cup and daCosta Cup teams, and two female goalkeepers from Reinas Academy.

The goalkeepers will receive top-notch training led by the experienced Phil Wheddon, who also serves as Andre Blake’s goalkeeper coach at Philadelphia Union.

Wheddon is the only goalkeeper coach in United States history to have coached both the men’s and women’s national teams in a FIFA World Cup. He coached in three World Cups and won two Olympic gold medals with United States.

Other participating goalkeeper coaches include Jamaica Under-20 coach Andrew Sewell, national goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, Reinas Academy’s Neo Oxford and Kingston College’s Robert Beckford.

Blake, who will lead the Reggae Boyz into Concacaf Nations League semi-final action, as well as the CONMEBOL Copa America next year, explains the rationale behind the initiative.

“To whom much is given, much is required, and so this is my way of supporting the next generation of goalkeepers. I want to see what these goalkeepers look like and try to educate them on what it will take to get to the next level. Having Phil on board is great because he brings an extensive amount of knowledge and experience with him,” Blake shared.

Blake’s initiative is supported the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), Sagicor Foundation, Spectrum Systems Limited, TruShake, Powerade, Courtyard Marriott, Leep Marketing, and UNL Sport.

The Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Jamaicans delivered an excellent performance in their semi-final clash with United States, leading from the very first minute until the final seconds of second half stoppage time when an own-goal resulted in an equalizer. United States then completed a 3-1 victory with two goals in extra-time.

Nevertheless, the Reggae Boyz defence stood tall in keeping a dangerous United States attack at bay, after Gregory Leigh’s goal just 31 seconds into the match.

Captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake was at his usual best between the sticks, making four saves, while as a collective the Jamaican defence had 12 steals, with Damion Lowe one of the standout performers.

Attacker Bobby Reid was a tireless worker as well, as he supplied the assist on the Leigh goal in addition to being a threat on the counterattack.

Panama suffered a 0-3 defeat to Mexico in their semi-final encounter, in which they had control of things for a large part of the first half, but they conceded two goals shortly before the interval.

The Canaleros will be eager to claim a victory in this one and achieve their best finish ever in a Nations League Finals outing after finishing fourth in 2022-23.

Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla was a central figure in midfield against Mexico, with 40 passes completed and two steals. Anibal Godoy also offered plenty of punch with three steals and 77 percent of passes completed.

Still, the matter of scoring remains the key component to deciding an outcome and both Jamaica and Panama will be very much aware of that. These two sides last met in Concacaf Qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2022, during which Panama won both meetings, 3-0 and 3-2. Prior to that, they were opponents in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals, which saw Jamaica register a 1-0 victory.

Regardless of the outcome, Jamaica has already rewritten the history books, as this represents their first time contesting the business end of the Concacaf Nations League. However, a win would certainly boost their morale ahead of the prestigious CONMEBOL Copa America tournament in June, as well as the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers.

The 29-year-old Blake suffered the injury when he slammed his hand into the goalpost in the 76^th minute and was eventually substituted 14 minutes later when the pain became unbearable.

Meantime, the Union’s management is hoping to get the MLS is Back Golden Glove winner back before the end of the season.

 “The hope is, if things go well, there’s a possibility that it is not a season-ending injury,” manager Jim Curtin said Friday. “But there is a fracture in there. We’re exploring the best possible way to get him back as quickly as possible.”

Blake, Jamaica’s number-one goalkeeper, had asked to be excused from national team duties so that he could focus on the Union’s playoff chances. The Reggae Boyz are expected to leave the island on November 6 for Saudi Arabia where they will play two international friendlies against that country’s national team on November 14 and 17.

The 29-year-old goalkeeper was substituted in the 90th minute with a right hand injury after reportedly trying to play through the pain.

Blake had asked to be excused from the Reggae Boyz squad for next month’s two-match trip to Saudi Arabia.

“Obviously, when the goalkeeper has to come out of the game, it's not good, so I can just leave it at that. Not good in terms of the early prognosis but we'll see when we get some pictures and get some clarity,” said Union head coach Jim Curtin.

Blake has been integral to the Union’s climb to the of top the Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference tables.

Blake has eight clean sheets in 21 starts this year and is considered a frontrunner for this year’s Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Award.

He won the MLS is Back Tournament Golden Glove this past summer.