This was in part because he was really good, of course. The Jamaican delivered on the promise of being the No. 1 draft pick in 2014 by winning MLS' Goalkeeper of the Year award two years later.
Now the Union have those players, in Alejandro Bedoya, Borek Dockal, and a few others. And young centerbacks Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie have earned spotlights of their own, justifying the hype around them as potential future U.S. national team players.
But Blake hasn't gotten any worse. In fact, he's probably gotten better, with career highs of 113 saves and 10 shutouts this season.