Nick Rimando

Nick Rimando

Personal information
Full name	Nicholas Paul Rimando
Date of birth	June 17, 1979 (1979-06-17) (age 32)
Place of birth	Montclair, California, United States
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Real Salt Lake
Number	18
Youth career
1997–1999	UCLA Bruins
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–	Real Salt Lake	143	(0)
National team‡
2002–	United States	5	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 September, 2011

Nicholas Paul "Nick" Rimando^[1] (born June 17, 1979 in Montclair, California) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the United States national team

Career

College

Rimando attended Montclair High School, and played two years of college soccer at UCLA. As a rookie in 1997, he tended goal as the Bruins won the College Cup; after his sophomore year, he signed a Project-40 contract with MLS.

Professional

Rimando was selected 35th in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by the Miami Fusion, and, to the surprise of many, quickly took the starting position from Jeff Cassar. He started 22 games as a rookie, and 25 as a sophomore, helping the Fusion to win the 2001 MLS Supporters' Shield. When the Fusion were contracted after the 2001 season, Rimando was selected third overall by D.C. United (his coach at Miami, Ray Hudson, was the new United boss) in the subsequent Allocation 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 to Troy Perkins, but regained it for the stretch run, backstopping DC to the MLS 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 with Freddy Adu to Real Salt Lake. He was then traded to New York Red Bulls on February 9, only to be traded back to Real Salt Lake on February 23 following the sudden retirement of the latter team's first-choice keeper Scott Garlick.

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 did a great job in the nets. He led MLS with 146 saves in 27 games, including heroic efforts against New England (13 saves in a 0-0 draw on June 2) and Toronto 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 2007 Most 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.^[2] 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 the Chicago Fire, RSL battled to a scoreless draw after 120 minutes. Rimando made several saves in regulation and overtime, then added three huge 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 the Los 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 took to the pitch with new confidence and 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 by FC 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 to Donovan Ricketts of the L.A. Galaxy, which caused some controversy around the league.^[3]

On 4 February 2011, Rimando signed a contract extension with RSL that will keep him with the club through the 2013 season.^[4]

Personal

Rimando's father is of Filipino descent and his mother is of Mexican descent.^[5] In December 2005, Rimando married his long time girlfriend, Jacqui Little. She played for the Washington Freedom in the now-defunct WUSA and is also from California. The wedding was performed by teammate Ben Olsen in Malibu, California.^[6] Now he and Jacqui are currently enjoying their newborn son, Jett Nicholas Rimando.

Honors

Team

• DC United

• MLS Cup: 2004
• Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship: 2004

• Real Salt Lake

• MLS Cup: 2009
• Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship: 2009

Individual

• MLS Cup Most Valuable Player: 2009
• MLS All-Star: 2010

See also

• List of current MLS players

References

1. ^ "Nick Rimando profile". UCLABruins.com. University of California, Los Angeles. http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/rimando_nick00.html. Retrieved 2011-03-06. 
2. ^ "RSL goalie is MLS player of month" (reprint). Deseret News (Salt Lake City: Find Articles). 2008-08-01. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20080801/ai_n27980720/. Retrieved 2011-03-06. 
3. ^ Real Salt Lake gives Rimando an extension
4. ^ "Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando signs contract extension". Our Sports Central. 2011-02-04. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4149364. Retrieved 2011-02-04. 
5. ^ Joaquin Henson (2009-12-01). "Fil-Am thwarts Beckham's goal". PhilStar.com (The Philippine Star). http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=528375&publicationSubCategoryId=69. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
6. ^ "Behind the Badge: Triple threat". DCUnited.com. 2005-12-15. http://web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20051215&content_id=49510&vkey=news_dcu&fext=.jsp&team=dcu. Retrieved 2010-03-24. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• MLS player profile
• U.S. Soccer player profile
• Nick Rimando at National-Football-Teams.com

Persondata
Name	Rimando, Nick
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	June 17, 1979
Place of birth	Montclair, California, United States
Date of death
Place of death