Blake targets MLS success with Union

A s national goalkeeper Andre Blake prepares to resume his 2020 Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season, he says he intends to use the experience from the recently concluded MLS is Back tournament to help fuel a championship run for his team, the Philadelphia Union.

The 29 year-old Blake was awarded the Golden Glove award, given to the best goalkeeper of the competition, as well as being selected to the tournament's best eleven.

The MLS is Back tournament was a one-off World Cup-style competition to mark the league's return after a four-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament was held in a bubble environment in Orlando, Florida.

Blake said that he was honoured to have been named the best among his peers.

"As a player, you always have personal goals as well as team goals, so for me it's definitely an honour to have been named best goalkeeper out of 24 and being named to the best eleven," Blake told STAR Sports.

Proving critics wrong

The Union advanced to the semi-finals where they were beaten by eventual winners the Portland Timbers. While disappointed with failing to meet their objectives, Blake said that he is proud of proving critics wrong during their run.

"Not a lot of people believed in us, not a lot of people predicted us being in the last four from 24 teams. So if you take all things into perspective, I think it was still a great run," he said. "So we have to use it as motivation and use the momentum to get back into the regular season and, hopefully, we can make another run to the MLS Cup and win the whole thing."

Teams will now restart their campaigns in their respective home markets, with majority of games being played without fans. No longer in the bubble environment, he hopes that players exercise extreme caution to prevent COVID-19 infection.

"Hopefully, everybody can be responsible and do what they have to do, not just to protect themselves but to protect their families and other players in the league," he said.

The Philadelphia Union will restart their regular season schedule on Thursday against the New England Revolution.