The trio of Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales and Nick Rimando is entering its 10th season together with Real Salt Lake. Throughout the year, we will recognize them for their years of service with the Claret-and-Cobalt and on Sunday KUTV featured Rimando in the words of his teammates.
Here are the reactions from his teammates when asked about the impact Rimando has on the club.
Kyle Beckerman: “He’s one of the top goalkeepers in the league for years now. Not always is it recognized outside of this club, but us here, we know and we’ve known it for a long time how good he is and how important he is for our team. Obviously we need it to continue. Nick puts in the work. He works hard. There’s no reason he won’t continue to be the top goalkeeper in the league.”
Jordan Allen: “I can’t even put words into how big of an influence he is – on our team, on this city as a whole. In the locker room he’s a big presence. He is a guy that will demands the best out of everyone. That alone raises the level of everybody. We are lucky to have him.”
Jamison Olave: “He shows every game that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the league. He has great reactions. He’s a great leader. He’s always trying to order the defense and helping us in the back. When he’s there, he’s very comfortable.”
Luke Mulholland: “He’s the best keeper. We’re very spoiled with this club having Nick Rimando and Jeff Attinella for insurance when Nick’s gone with the national team. Nick Rimando is Mr. Utah for me. He’s done a lot.”
Yura Movsisyan: “He’s a legend in this league. To reach what he’s reached is amazing. To have a guy like that on your team is a big booster.”
Tony Beltran: “He’s an icon. He’s the best goalkeeper in Real Salt Lake history and the best goalkeeper in MLS history. That speaks for itself right there.”
Rimando is Major League Soccer’s all-time leader with 123 career shutouts. His 172 wins and 394 games played rank second only to Kevin Hartman. In addition to his time with RSL, he also played for the Miami Fusion and D.C. United, winning MLS Cup with D.C. in 2004 to go along with his championship with RSL in 2009.
To see Adam Mikulich’s story on Rimando, click here.
