When I was told I had to hold things down for Kevin Kinkead this week, I figured I would knock out a couple Ben Simmons posts, an Eagles pre-camp post or two, and just load up the site with Phils stuff.

I did not think I would be doing any Union stories, but because Crossing Broad is the only 6-for-6 Philadelphia sports website (Philadelphia Fusion forever), I’m getting the party started today by doing just that.

The team announced this morning that it has signed goalkeeper Andre Blake to a multi-year contract extension that comes with a three-year guarantee through the 2024 season.

The deal for the 30-year-old Blake, the 2020 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, also has a club option for 2025.

Here’s Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner on the extension:

Andre was the backbone of the best defense in MLS last season and has been a key piece of our club’s success the past few seasons. His high level of play has allowed us to give young defenders such as Mark McKenzie, Kai Wagner, and Olivier Mbaizo opportunities to prove themselves at the MLS level. As the rest of the league recognized last year, we have the best keeper in North America, and he is continuously getting better. While his play speaks for itself on the field, his mentality and the leadership role he has taken in our young squad has been as equally important. We are thrilled that he will remain with our club for years to come.