Real Salt Lake 3 vs D.C. United 2
May 12, 2018; Sandy, Utah; Rio Tinto Stadium
Real Salt Lake (4-5-1, 13 points); D.C. United (1-5-2, 5 points)
Man of the Match: Well the man of the hour was certainly goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who earned his 200th career MLS regular season win, extending his all-time record to even greater heights. He made five saves on the night to claim his fourth win of the season and he now ranks fourth in the league this season with 36 saves this season.
Telling Stat: Rimando is now 20 wins clear of Kevin Hartman on the all-time wins list and 114 ahead of Luis Robles, who is the next highest among active players with 86 wins. To surpass Rimando, he would need to average 15 wins per season until he is 40 years old. As Rimando’s win total continues to rise, it seems less and less likely that he will be caught anytime soon.
What You Missed: After the match, Rimando was presented with a trophy on the field commemorating his 200th career win. RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen made a short speech recognizing the incredible accomplishment before RSL captain Kyle Beckerman, who has been teammates with Rimando in 14 of their 19 professional seasons. Rimando was joined, as usual, by his children Benny and Jett.
So What: For Rimando, the milestone was meaningful, but moreso because it got RSL back in the win column while climbing above the playoff line. Earning the victory against D.C. United, for whom he had played from 2002-2006 and won MLS Cup in 2004, had some extra meaning too. He also broke the all-time shutout record against D.C. United, coached by his longtime friend Ben Olsen, in 2014. Real Salt Lake now has four straight home wins and goes on the road to face the Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders FC before returning home for a pair of home matches to close out the month.
