When Marcus Hahnemann retired last month, Sounders FC lost much more than just its backup goalkeeper. Hahnemann was a leader in the locker room, a Seattle native who had experience playing on some of soccer’s biggest stages.
In Troy Perkins, the club got another veteran keeper who is thrilled to be wearing the Rave Green.
“It’s a huge honor to be asked to join a club with the kind of prestige and class that Sounders FC represents and wants to set forth for the rest of the league,” said Perkins, who signed with the club on Tuesday.
Both of Perkins’ last two clubs – the Montreal Impact and Portland Timbers – were expansion teams playing in their very first season when he joined them. Now the 33-year-old is set to play for a team that has won five major trophies in its six years as an MLS club.
In addition to Hahnemann’s retirement, the Sounders lost keeper Josh Ford to Orlando City SC in the Expansion Draft. Neither Ford nor Hahnemann appeared in an MLS match last year – Stefan Frei played every minute at keeper – but Seattle has traditionally used backup keepers in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The 2014 tournament was no exception, as Hahnemann came up huge in the penalty shootout against San Jose that sent the Rave Green to the quarterfinals.
A 10-year MLS veteran, Perkins brings a great deal of club and international experience to Seattle.
Perkins won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2006, one year before guiding D.C. United to the Supporters’ Shield. He led all goalkeepers in victories both of those seasons. In the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Perkins was the starter for the United States and kept a trio of clean sheets as the Americans reached the tournament final. His 109 saves during the 2013 MLS season were tops in the league.
Entering his 11th MLS season, Perkins ranks in the top 10 all-time in wins, saves and shutouts.
READ: Sounders FC Acquires Goalkeeper Troy Perkins
“Troy is an accomplished player that is well-known throughout our league,” Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said. “He has been one of the most consistent performers at the goalkeeper position during his MLS career, and he brings experience to our roster. We look forward to welcoming him in Seattle.”
Schmid has said that he thinks goalkeepers improve as they get older and older. Frei proved that to be true last year, recording nine shutouts and a league-high 20 wins in what he referred to as the best season of his career.
Perkins knows that Frei was stellar in goal in 2014. While he is eager to compete for the starting job during training camp, the veteran is also happy to be in Seattle and ready to help the team in any way he can.
“At the end of the day, it’s a competition but when you step off the field we’re all there for the same thing,” Perkins said. “I just want to improve the group the best I can. If that’s me asked to be the support guy, that’s fine, but I’m going to push every day and I’m going to fight for that position.”
