This is Part 25 in a series of articles on the players that make up the 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy.


Wheelings and dealings are an inevitable part of this nuance of football we like to call the transfer window.

In association football, the transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff.

Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA. "Transfer window" is the unofficial term commonly used for the concept of "registration period" as described in the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Player.

An example of a player going through the motions is Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Perk

Perk is a recent acquisition to Bruce Arena's Galaxy, having been acquired from the Philadelphia Union. A local product, Perk will look to add depth and stability between the woodwork for the G's this season.

Brian Perk was born on July 21, 1989 in Yorba Linda, California but spent most of his life in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Rancho Santa Margarita is one of the state's youngest cities and is a master-planned community. The city was named for Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores of San Diego County but is neighbored by the cities of Mission Viejo, Las Flores and Ladera Ranch.

The band Velvet Revolver, Olympic gold medalist Joy Fawcett, film/TV/radio personality R.J. Adams, author Martin Dugard and former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jim Everett call Rancho Santa Margarita home.

The television series "The Real Housewives of Orange County," although based in Coto De Caza, is mainly filmed in Rancho Santa Margarita where many of the housewives do business, shopping, commuting, and dining.

Situated in nearby Las Flores is Tesoro High School. The Titans are known for their sports programs, with a shining example being the boys soccer team.

At Tesoro, Perk earned 2006 Parade All-American and Top Goalkeeper honors to go with an NSCAA/adidas All-American distinction in 2005.

As a youth player, Perk played club soccer with the Pateadores from 1998-2006. He was also a member of the Cal-South (2002-04) and Region IV (2005-06) ODP teams, as well as the PDP (2005).

UCLA's Jorge Salcedo gave Perk the big break he was looking for, and it paid dividends.

In 2006, Perk was named to the Top Draw Soccer All-Freshman second team, making seven starts for a 3-1-3 record, 29 saves and a 1.27 goals against average.

Perk showed his clutch ability in the net, making nine saves in a match against UC Santa Barbara and seven in a double-overtime thriller against the Washington Huskies.

In his sophomore year, Perk started 20 matches and made 84 saves to go with five shutouts and a 1.06 GAA. However, a shoulder injury in the

closing minutes of the first round of the 2007 NCAA tournament would end his season. A preseason All-American by Soccer America, Perk earned an All-Pac-10 honorable mention.

In his Junior year, Perk earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors with 75 saves, seven shutouts and a 0.97 GAA in 19 appearances in goal for the Bruins. During UCLA's eight-game unbeat streak late in the 2008 campaign, Perk only allowed a penalty kick in 711 minutes of action.

In Perk's senior season, he became a second-team NSCAA All-American and first-team All-Pac-10 honoree while earning a Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Season first team selection. Perk started 15 matches and had a 0.87 GAA to go with 53 saves, 13 goals allowed and four shutouts.

Perk graduated from UCLA with a 1.01 GAA, 16 shutouts and a 29-18-12 record in 61 appearances. His 241 career saves rank him fourth on UCLA's all-time list.

Perk could have added more to his career numbers in 2009, but he had to start in goal for the US Under-20 men's national team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

As a member of the Stars and Stripes, Perk recorded shutouts in four straight games with the U-20s in 2009, including three in as many games at the CONCACAF Championships.

In the summer of 2008, Perk recorded shutouts against the U-20 teams from Mexico and Belgium, as well as the Bolton Reserves. He also played with the Under-18 men's national team at the Lisbon International Tournament in June 2007 and at the SBS Cup in August 2007.

Perk was also a member of the U.S. U-17 residency program from 2004-06 and was part the U-17 Team that placed fifth at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championships.

In the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, Brian Perk was selected as the 49th pick overall by the Philadelphia Union. However, he did not get any playing time and sat on the bench as a backup to starter Chris Seitz and backup Brad Knighton.

On August 4, Perk was waived by the Union and picked up by the Los Angeles Galaxy. It was, in all essence, a homecoming.

Now the Galaxy's new No. 24 will aim to push for playing time and help lead Los Angeles to the 2010 MLS Cup.

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