MONTREAL – After Troy Perkins became a Montreal Impact player via trade, Jesse Marsch said that the club had brought in a more “by-the-book” goalkeeper that would improve the team. Three weeks later, it seems Marsch hit the nail on the head.
In his first three games with Montreal, Perkins (above, right) has been nearly perfect, collecting three wins and two shutouts with a mere one goal conceded (a Chris Wondolowski penalty kick). This record, Marsch feels, is a tribute to the student-of-the-game approach of his new No. 1 goalkeeper.
SAVE: Perkins keeps shutout alive
“He’s a bright goalie, a sure goalie, a guy who studies everything from the angles he should take to when he should come out, how he should come out, to how he talks with the group in front of him,” Marsch said after the Impact defeated D.C. United 3-0 on Saturday. “He’s a veteran ‘keeper that brings a real presence in terms of every aspect of being in the net. He’s helped our team, he’s fit in very well and I think he likes being here.”
Perkins' all-around confident goalkeeping since joining the Impact – and a Save of the Week award on his debut with the team – indicate that he is indeed enjoying himself in the Quebec metropolis so far.
“I feel great here,” he said. “It’s a good fit for me, I think. The management has been excellent and the players have been great welcoming me. There’s nothing better than getting results like we have been.”
And with the Impact’s five wins on the trot, it’s difficult to dispute Perkins’ claim. Though the winning streak started before he came on board, his arrival seemed to galvanize the Impact, who are looking more organized than ever, as well as more comfortable playing out of the back.
Yet the humble Perkins is not going to take any extra credit. For him, it’s only normal to adapt quickly to players that “put everything they have on the line.”
“It’s easy, it really is,” Perkins said. “When the guys have confidence, and they want the ball and they’re willing to do whatever it takes, it’s an easy way to step on the field.”
