 Rimando withReal Salt Lake in 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicholas Paul Rimando[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1979-06-17)June 17, 1979 (age 46) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Montclair, California, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | UCLA Bruins | 48 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Miami Fusion | 47 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | →MLS Pro-40 (loan) | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2006 | D.C. United | 98 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2019 | Real Salt Lake | 369 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 516 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | United States U20 | 31 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2017 | United States | 22 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicholas Paul Rimando (born June 17, 1979) is an American former professionalsoccer player who played as agoalkeeper. Having spent his entire career inMajor League Soccer, he holds the records for career wins, clean sheets, saves, and overall appearances.[3][4] He also played for theUnited States national team.
Rimando was born inMontclair, California, and attendedMontclair High School. He played two years ofcollege soccer atUCLA. As a freshman in 1997, he tended goal as the Bruins won theCollege Cup; after his sophomore year, he signed aProject-40 contract with MLS.[5]
Rimando was selected 35th in the third round of the2000 MLS SuperDraft by theMiami Fusion, and quickly took the starting position fromJeff Cassar, starting 22 games as a rookie. He started 25 games the following season, helping the Fusion to win the 2001MLS Supporters' Shield.[6]
When the Fusion were contracted after the 2001 season, Rimando was selected third overall byD.C. United (his coach at Miami,Ray Hudson, was the new United boss) in the subsequentAllocation Draft.For DC, Rimando played in every game in 2002 and in 25 games in 2003 until he missed the end of the season with an injury. In 2004, with Hudson gone, he lost his starting job toTroy Perkins, but regained it for the stretch run, backstopping DC to theMLS Cup. In 2005, he regained his everyday starter status, but was beaten out by Perkins again in 2006, playing only two games during the whole season.
On December 11, 2006, Rimando was traded along withFreddy Adu toReal Salt Lake.[7] He was then traded toNew York Red Bulls on February 9,[8] only to be traded back to Real Salt Lake on February 23 following the sudden retirement of the latter team's first-choice keeperScott Garlick.[9]
Rimando was RSL's first-choice keeper during the 2007 season. His team struggled constantly and never seriously contended for a playoff berth, but Rimando led MLS with 146 saves in 27 games, including efforts againstNew England (13 saves in a 0–0 draw on June 2) andToronto FC (12 saves in a 0–0 draw on September 15). His hard work was rewarded at the end of the season when he was named Real Salt Lake's 2007Most Valuable Player.
Rimando continued as Salt Lake's first-choice keeper in 2008 and 2009. He emerged as one of the top keepers in the league, as evidenced by his MLS Player of the Month award in July 2008.[10] His strong performance between the pipes, combined with his team's much-improved defensive play, carried the team to Western Conference Final in 2008 and even further in 2009. In the Eastern Conference Final against theChicago Fire, RSL battled to a scoreless draw after 120 minutes. Rimando made several saves in regulation and overtime, then added three saves on penalty kicks, lifting his team to a 5–4 shootout victory. In the MLS Cup championship match, Rimando again found himself facing a shootout, and again he delivered. He made three saves, leading RSL to a victory over theLos Angeles Galaxy. For his efforts, he was named MLS Cup MVP, only the second goalkeeper to earn the honor (Tony Meola accomplished the feat in 2000).
In 2010, RSL emerged as possibly the greatest defensive team in the history of Major League Soccer. With Rimando as goalkeeper, Salt Lake set an MLS record for fewest goals allowed in a single season - just 20 in 30 matches. Rimando also set club records for most shutouts in a single season (14) and longest shutout streak (568 minutes). Additionally, the team set a league record for highest goal differential (+25), but they were upset byFC Dallas in the first round of the playoffs and couldn't defend their MLS Cup title from the previous season. Despite his stellar season - one of the greatest ever by a keeper in American professional soccer - Rimando did not receive the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. Instead, it was given toDonovan Ricketts of theL.A. Galaxy, which caused some controversy around the league.[11][12]
On February 4, 2011, Rimando signed a contract extension with RSL that kept him with the club through the 2013 season.[13]
On March 3, 2013, Rimando became the 2nd MLS goalkeeper to earn 100 shutouts after a 2–0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes.
In December 2013, Real Salt Lake and Rimando traveled to Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas to face Sporting Kansas City for the MLS Championship Game. Rimando played well despite 10 degree temperatures. He made four major saves in the game.[14] His third save was perhaps the best. Graham Zusi shot a high half volley, but Rimando tipped it over the crossbar. The game went on to penalty kicks after a 1–1 draw. Rimando saved a penalty kick from Matt Besler, but Real Salt Lake lost in sudden death.
On August 9, 2014, playing at home against his former club,D.C. United, Rimando secured the lead in career shutouts for an MLS goalkeeper in a 3–0 win.
On March 1, 2019, Rimando announced he would be retiring following the 2019 season.[15] He played his final match on October 23, 2019, in aMLS Cup Playoffs match againstSeattle Sounders FC atCenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington. Rimando played with an injured left shoulder and made seven saves as Real Salt Lake lost 2–0 and were eliminated from the playoffs.[16][17] He finished his MLS career with the league record in appearances (515), wins (223), saves (1,712), and shutouts (154).[16]
Although mostly a backup toTim Howard, Rimando played for theUnited States at the1999 World Youth Championship inNigeria. He earned his first senior team cap on November 17, 2002, againstEl Salvador. After that, he did not receive much attention from the national team until his outstanding play in MLS in 2009 caught the attention of U.S. coachBob Bradley. Rimando was invited to train with the senior team in 2010 in preparation for theWorld Cup, although he was not selected for the tournament. He has made some international appearances since then, including a standout performance in a friendly againstPanama on January 25, 2012.[18] He was consistently the third-choice keeper under former manager Jurgen Klinsmann, and was the first-choice keeper at the2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
On May 22, 2014, Rimando was named to the final 23-man roster for the2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[19] The tournament was his first-ever World Cup finals roster, though he did not log any minutes in any of the USMNT's matches.
Rimando's father is of Filipino descent and his mother is of Mexican descent.[20] In December 2005, Rimando married his longtime girlfriend,Jacqui Little. She played for theWashington Freedom in the now-defunctWUSA and is also from California. The wedding was performed by teammateBen Olsen in Malibu, California.[21] Rimando and Little have two children, Jett Nicholas Rimando and Benny Rose Rimando. They have since divorced.[22]
| Club | Season | MLS | MLS Cup playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | CONCACAF | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Miami Fusion | 2000 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 2001 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | |
| D.C. United | 2002 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| 2003 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 98 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 115 | 0 | |
| Real Salt Lake | 2007 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 2008 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| Total | 369 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 421 | 0 | |
| Career total | 514 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 592 | 0 | |
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2002 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 0 | |
Individual
United States squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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