Nick Rimando

Personal information
Full name	Nick Rimando
Date of birth	June 17, 1979 (1979-06-17) (age 30)
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)
2002–2006	D.C. United	98	(0)
2007–	Real Salt Lake	83	(0)
National team‡
2002–	United States	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 November, 2009. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 March, 2009

Nick Rimando (born June 17, 1979 in Montclair, California) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.

[edit] Career

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 Red Bull New York 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 (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 was named MLS Player of the Month for July 2008.^[1] His solid play, 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. Rimando then made saves on three penalty kicks in the 2009 MLS Cup against LA Galaxy and was named MVP.

[edit] International

Although mostly a backup to Tim Howard, Rimando played for the United States at the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria. He earned his first (and only) cap with the senior team on November 17, 2002 against El Salvador.

[edit] Personal

Rimando's father is of Filipino descent and his mother is of Mexican descent.^[2] 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. Now he and Jacqui are currently enjoying their newborn son, Jett Nicholas Rimando.

[edit] Honors

[edit] D.C. United

• Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2004
• Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship (1): 2004

[edit] Real Salt Lake

• Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2009
• Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship (1): 2009

[edit] See also

• List of current MLS players

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• MLS player profile