Blake backing Powell to play key role with Union

National goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake says that he expects his national teammate and now clubmate Alvas Powell to play a significant role for Major League Soccer club, the Philadelphia Union, this season.

Powell, 26, signed a deal until the end of the season with the club, joining national teammates Blake and Cory Burke. Powell made his club debut on June 24 in the 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew and played 61 minutes in their most recent fixture, a 3-3 draw with the Chicago Fire, on Sunday.

Blake says that he is looking forward to seeing Powell show his quality to help his team throughout the rest of the season.

"Everytime you can get a Jamaican to come in and be a part of the team, its a plus," Blake told STAR Sports. "Definitely looking forward to him being with the club and its a very big boost for us."

Powell will not only have a role to play in the Union's domestic campaign, but also on the continental front, as the Union have a Concacaf Champions League semi-final tie with Mexican outfit Club America on their calendar later this summer.

All three players will be awaiting the announcement of the final 23-man roster that will represent Jamaica in the Concacaf Gold Cup tournament next month. The preliminary round will start on July 2, which is the deadline for all teams to submit their final rosters.

Blake said that another deep run in the tournament will be perfect moral boost ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers starting in September.

"We have had a few near misses, so hopefully this is the year that we can go all the way," he said. "We have a good crop of guys, the aim is always to win the whole tournament so hopefully we can really get on a run like we always do in these tournaments and hopefully go all the way. That would definitely be a big confidence booster and something to carry over in the World Cup qualifiers."

Jamaica has advanced to the semi final of the last three Gold Cup tournaments, reaching the finals in 2015 and 2017.