Nicholas Paul Rimando (born June 17, 1979) is an American retired

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who last played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting ...

for

Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 20 ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...

and the United States national team. He holds the

records for career wins, shutouts, saves, and overall appearances.

Youth and college

Rimando was born in Montclair, California and attended Montclair High School. He played two years of

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Ki ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

. As a freshman in 1997, he tended goal as the Bruins won the College Cup; after his sophomore year, he signed a

Project-40 Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S. ...

contract with MLS.

Professional career

Miami and D.C.

Rimando was selected 35th in the third round of the

2000 MLS SuperDraft The 2000 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held on February 6, 2000 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and consisted of six rounds. One of the most successful draft picks was goalkeeper Nick Rimando, a third round pick, who went on to hold the record ...

by the

Miami Fusion The Miami Fusion was a professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for four seasons, from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one of the league's first two expansion teams, their best seas ...

, and quickly took the starting position from Jeff Cassar, starting 22 games as a rookie. He started 25 games the following season, helping the Fusion to win the 2001

MLS Supporters' Shield The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since ...

. 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 Troy Perkins (born July 29, 1981) is an American former soccer player. During his career, he played for clubs in the United States, Canada, and Norway. The 2006 Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year award winner earned seven caps with th ...

, but regained it for the stretch run, backstopping DC to the

MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conferen ...

. 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.

Real Salt Lake

On December 11, 2006, Rimando was traded along with Freddy Adu to

. He was then traded to

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...

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 Scott Garlick (born May 29, 1972 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American retired soccer goalkeeper who played 10 seasons in Major League Soccer from 1997 to 2006. Garlick went on trial to Waterford United in 1994. Initially for a month he stayed f ...

. 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 against

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

(13 saves in a 0-0 draw on June 2) and

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...

(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 In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...

. 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. 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 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 LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...

. 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 by

FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise began play in 1996 as a charter club of the le ...

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 Donovan Ricketts (born 7 June 1977) is a Jamaican former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and is currently an assistant coach for FC Tulsa in the USL Championship. Ricketts played more than 100 games for Bradford City in Engla ...

of the L.A. Galaxy, which caused some controversy around the league. On February 4, 2011, Rimando signed a contract extension with RSL that kept him with the club through the 2013 season. 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. 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. Rimando played his final game on October 23, 2019, away, in an 0-2 defeat against the Seattle Sounders, in the first season of single elimination MLS Cup playoffs, in regulation time. Despite having an injured left shoulder, Rimando made 7 saves. He said during the postgame interview, that he enjoyed his 20 years in MLS, gave so much to the sport, is grateful to the sport, grateful to everyone involved in his career, and will see what happens next.

International career

Although mostly a backup to Tim Howard, Rimando played for the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

at the 1999 World Youth Championship in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. He earned his first senior team cap on November 17, 2002 against

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south ...

. 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. coach

Bob Bradley Robert Frank Bradley (born March 3, 1958) is an American soccer coach who is the head coach and sporting director of Toronto FC. A native of New Jersey and graduate of Princeton University, Bradley coached in the American college game and Maj ...

. Rimando was invited to train with the senior team in 2010 in preparation for the World Cup, although he was not selected for the tournament. He has made some international appearances since then, including a standout performance in a friendly against

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

on January 25, 2012. He was consistently the third-choice keeper under former manager Jurgen Klinsmann, and was the first-choice keeper at the

2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 12th CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and the 22nd CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence. The United States was the host nation. The competition began on 7 July 2013 at the ...

. On May 22, 2014 Rimando was named to the final 23-man roster for the

2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from ...

in Brazil. The tournament was his first-ever World Cup finals roster, though he did not log any minutes in any of the USMNT's matches.

Personal life

Rimando's father is of Filipino descent and his mother is of Mexican descent. In December 2005, Rimando married his longtime girlfriend, Jacqui Little. She played for the

Washington Freedom Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Germantown, Maryland, that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's Unite ...

in the now-defunct WUSA and is also from California. The wedding was performed by teammate

Ben Olsen Benjamin Robert Olsen (born May 3, 1977) is an American sports executive, soccer coach, and former professional player who was formerly the president of Washington Spirit, a professional women's soccer club in the National Women's Soccer Leagu ...

in Malibu, California. Rimando and Little have two children, Jett Nicholas Rimando and Benny Rose Rimando. They have since divorced.

Career statistics

Honors

United States *

CONCACAF Gold Cup The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

Miami Fusion *

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

D.C. United *

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...

Real Salt Lake *

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

Individual *

MLS All-Star The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club or selected players from Liga MX. MLS initially adopted a traditional all-star ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

* MLS Save of the Year:

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

References

External links

*
U.S. Soccer player profile
* *
Rimando at Real Salt Lake Official Website

AS.com Rimando

Nick Rimando worldfootball.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rimando, Nick 1979 births Living people American soccer players American sportspeople of Filipino descent American sportspeople of Mexican descent Association football goalkeepers UCLA Bruins men's soccer players Miami Fusion players MLS Pro-40 players D.C. United players Real Salt Lake players People from Montclair, California Soccer players from California Sportspeople from San Bernardino County, California 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players 2014 FIFA World Cup players 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup players CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players Major League Soccer players Major League Soccer All-Stars A-League (1995–2004) players Miami Fusion draft picks United States men's under-20 international soccer players United States men's international soccer players