Damien Perrinelle really wanted to be a New York Red Bull. He tried with the team in 2013, and was not given a contract. He then went back to France and tried again in mid-2014, and received a contract. In his first stint here Perrinelle could not factor into the defense outside of some CONCACAF Champions League appearances, and for all intents and purposes was cut at the end of the year. Perrinelle did not want to give up on his dream, and renegotiated a contract with the team, and was supposed to form the "French Connection," the nickname for the pairing of Perrinelle and Ronald Zubar in the defense I just made up. Zubar went down during the first game, Perrinelle started along side Matt Miazga, and then the next thing you know the Red Bulls won the Supporters Shield for the second time in three years. Thanks for sticking around Damien.
Player Stats (all competitions)
32 Appearances
31 Starts
2721 Minutes Played
2 Goals
1 Assist
Player Grade: B+
Things done well:
Perrinelle and Mizaga linked up for a fantastic season. Having good centerbacks in MLS means your defensive midfielders are allowed to roam up the field more, which is what happened with Felipe and Dax McCarty. He appeared in 28 out of 34 MLS contests this year, which is remarkable from a consistency stand point. Having Miazga around allowed Perinelle the ability to venture up into the attack, helping the Red Bulls high press. His two goals this year are a testament to that. Perrinelle's physicality was an asset alongside Miazga, and helped the Red Bulls give up the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference.[Writes note: Perrinelle's hair gets an A+ for this season. It is absolutely flawless.]
Things done poorly:
Perrinelle was a bit of a hot head for the team. His aggressive spark was an asset, but it also led to 11 yellow cards and one suspension during the season. Many of the yellow cards were taken to protect Miazga, but he still was second in MLS for total yellows. Luckily, Perrinelle was never ejected in game for picking up a red.
Losing Perrinelle in the playoffs to a torn ACL ended a fabulous 2015 campaign on a down-note. He is expected to be out from 5-7 months putting the range of recovery for the French-defender to April-June. Perrinelle is currently out of a contract, but renegotiating with the team, the same fate that befell him in 2014. Given his tenacity, there is no reason to expect Perrinelle will not back with the Red Bulls in the second half of 2016.