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Head-to-head: Troy Perkins vs Nick Rimando

Troy Perkins Nick Rimando Real Salt Lake

Two teams with a very different makeup, Real Salt Lake and the Montreal Impact do have one common denominator – great goalkeeping.


Perkins robs Wondo





Both keepers are in the top 10 in most goalkeeping statistical categories.


In 10 games played, RSL’s Nick Rimando has made 35 saves (3rd in MLS) on 43 shots faced, good for a .80 goals against average (3rd) and a save percentage of 81% (1st in MLS).


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The American international keeper - six caps - has won two MLS Cup titles (2004 with D.C. and 2009 with RSL) and was twice named to the MLS All-Star team (2010, 2011).


Rimando, like his counterpart Troy Perkins on Saturday, also has three shutouts this season, good for fourth spot.


Rimando rescues the win for RSL





Perkins has rejuvenated his career since joining the Impact and this season, he is currently tied for third in MLS with five wins, third with a 78,0 save percentage, sixth with 32 saves and eighth with 1.00 GAA.


The native of Springfield, Ohio has seven caps with the US national team, another eerie similarity. Perkins has played only about half of the games that Rimando has in MLS (329 to 168), being two years younger and spending three seasons playing for Valerenga in the Norwegian first division, where he won the Norwegian Cup.


With these two guys in goal, Saturday’s 2pm matchup has the chance of being riddled with a number of potential MLS Save of the Week nominees.