The slow chants started to build throughout Rio Tinto Stadium as the final minutes ticked away on Real Salt Lake’s 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night. Nick Rimando was on the cusp of yet another MLS record and the 19,909 in attendance knew it and made sure that the RSL goalkeeper felt the love of a fanbase that had supported him for the last 10 years.
“Nick Ri-man-do!” They chanted as win number 181 drew nearer and nearer.
Then, when referee Silviu Petrescu blew the whistle for full time and the reality set in that Rimando had surpassed Kevin Hartman for the all-time wins record, Rimando spent time acknowledging those fans that had been chanting his name – whether they’d been along for his whole journey with the Claret-and-Cobalt or just joined the fray this year.
Teammates and coaches alike reveled in the victory – RSL’s first at home since June 22 – as much for what it meant in the standings as for the history made by Rimando.
“It’s such a special night, such an amazing achievement from an amazing goalkeeper and an amazing man,” RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar said. “And to do it in front of our fans and for him to do it here in front of his fans and family is massive. It’s a special night for him and it’s a special night for the club.”
Of his 181 wins, 115 have come since he was traded to Real Salt Lake prior to the 2007 season. Along with midfielder Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales, who joined later that summer, Rimando has helped create the culture that has helped the club reach two MLS Cup Finals, winning one in 2009, while also reaching finals in the CONCACAF Champions League and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and reaching the postseason in seven consecutive seasons.
It is teammates like Beckerman and Morales, but also the dozens of others that have donned the Claret-and-Cobalt in those years that Rimando credited after the match for the wins he’s amassed over the course of his 17-year career while also taking great personal pride in climbing to the top of the ladder in another career mark.
“It’s all to myself now. It feels real good,” he grinned in a post-game press conference, his daughter Benny at his side. “Obviously, I share it with a lot of teammates over the past years and lots of fans and my family. But to put myself on the sheet at number one feels great. My first year I didn’t think I was going to play this many years and who knew 17 years later, 16 years later I’d be here and have this record. It’s been a long road to get here. I feel good; I feel fresh and to do it in front of the home fans tonight is definitely a special feeling.”
Two years ago, Rimando shutout D.C. United at Rio Tinto Stadium to break Hartman’s career record with his 113th career clean sheet. Knowing that he stood to surpass some more records this year, he put his sights on records for games played, starts, minutes and wins. The starts, minutes and wins marks all fell in one week in succession against the Philadelphia Union (412 starts), Toronto FC (37,261 minutes) and finally the Chicago Fire (181 wins).
“When I got that shutout record, I felt like there was a lot of focus on it and it didn’t come and it didn’t come and we just kept on trying so hard for it and I felt a little bit of that this time,” Rimando said. “We just needed to focus on the game and the win will come. Those guys busted their butts today and I owe this victory to them.”
For all of his accolades, Rimando has never won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honor. It’s a point of frequent mention on national MLS broadcasts and still is shocking to his teammates.
“I don’t understand how Nick never won the Goalkeeper of the Year. It’s really tough. I think he deserves it and he’s a super professional guy,” Morales said. “He works super hard and I think he deserves it a lot.”
Rimando will look to continue to extend his career records with each match, starting Sunday when RSL heads to CenturyLink Field to face Seattle Sounders FC.
