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Keep it zero.
As Real Salt Lake clung to a 1-0 lead late in Saturday’s match against the Portland Timbers, goalkeeper Nick Rimando had one thought in his head as he watched Gaston Fernandez strike a clean ball toward his team’s goal: Keep it zero.
The veteran RSL and U.S. men’s national team netminder did just that. And with it, he helped his team earn a valuable win for the first time in three weeks with a shutout of its rivals from the Pacific Northwest.
“We’ve let in some late goals, and I just had to keep it at zero,” Rimando told reporters after the match, referring to a 90th minute 2-2 draw a week ago at Philadelphia. “Even if we are winning, I had to keep the shutout. Stay low, be ready and I was able to expose the ball.”
Rimando has been in tough spots before. A nearly guaranteed spot as Team USA’s third goalkeeper for the World Cup in Brazil this summer has Rimando playing some of the best soccer of his career. In only seven games, all results for RSL (3-0-4, 13 points), the California native improved to No. 2 on MLS’ all-time shutouts list — just one behind former FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
“He’s amazing,” RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said of his USMNT teammate. “I just think it’s normal now. He’s a national team goalkeeper, and that’s the type of things that those goalkeepers can do. He was a big part of us getting three points tonight.”
That Rimando is near passing Hartman’s record of 112 career shutouts in 59 fewer games is no accident. The well-traveled goalkeeper has been a stalwart for Miami, D.C. and the expansion team in Utah — but some of his best work his come on the Wasatch Front. Rimando’s heroics have even inspired a local brewery and earned him the nickname “Wall of the Wasatch.”
Not bad for the 5-foot-10 Rimando, who was once deemed “too short” to be a long-term professional ‘keeper.
“Nick and I have built up an unbelievable relationship the last eight years,” said RSL head coach Jeff Cassar, who first worked with Rimando at the now-defunct Miami Fusion. “The saves were world-class and kept our team in it at timely times. I couldn’t be more happy for him, especially with everything that is ahead of him. I’m so happy for him.”
Ned Grabavoy’s goal in the 78th minute gave RSL a lead, even though the team won one of its few games while narrowly losing the possession battle. The Salt Lake side conceded 50.5 percent of the possession time to the visiting Timbers — but made up for it with a 12-9 shots advantage.
Rimando made up for the few chances on which Portland (0-3-4, four points) tried to capitalize. The savvy goalkeeper made four saves on nine shots faced, including a stunning kick save in the 85th minute as substitute Alvas Powell sprinted past the back line down the middle of the box.
As Gaston Fernandez lined up a strike barely two minutes later, Rimando once again came to his team’s aid with a clean save to keep the clean sheet.
All this despite Rimando forcing his way back into the team rotation after sitting out for two weeks with a knee injury sustained during the United States’ 2-2 draw with Mexico in a Glendale, Ariz. The time off may have helped Rimando, though.
“I felt fresh tonight. Two weeks of taking care of my knee, and I felt good out there,” Rimando said. “I felt fresh and up to the task tonight. With a little luck on my side, and we had the defense, as well. They helped me out a lot. It feels good to contribute like that when you take a couple of weeks off, and get three points in front of our fans.” Sean is a recent journalism graduate of Syracuse University, and long-time soccer guy who adds a few stories to KSL.com, when he has a spare minute. Follow him on Twitter @GoaldotSean.
