The greatest goalkeeper in MLS history added one more superlative to his biography on Wednesday night, as Nick Rimando surpassed Kevin Hartman to become the league’s all-time saves leader with 1,476 in a career that has included one record-breaking moment after another in recent years.
Already claiming the all-time marks in wins (186), shutouts (131), starts (432) and minutes (39,001), Rimando now holds every goalkeeping mark in the league and won’t have any contenders anytime soon. The next-highest active MLS goalkeeper in most categories is Seattle’s Stefan Frei, ironically this weekend’s opponent for RSL, with 70 wins, 48 shutouts and 929 saves (unofficially).
After the match on Wednesday, RSL Head Coach Mike Petke was quick to heap praise on Rimando, who finished the night with five saves to earn the win and halt RSL’s four-game losing streak.
“I want to congratulate Nick Rimando for becoming the all-time saves leader tonight. I believe it was the last category that he didn’t dominate, so we’re very excited and proud of him,” Petke said to open his press conference.
After the match, Rimando was prideful in his record, but was even more jubilant about getting RSL back in the win column.
“Three points is the most important. As long as I have been playing records are going to come. Yes, it is special to me but the three points is the most important right now,” he said. “We have been fighting and wanting this win, the last four games has been rough for us. We have been putting in the work so the work showed today even though we went down one-zero. I saw the pride that we took and we have got to take that confidence to Seattle.”
Rimando has spent his 18 MLS seasons with the Miami Fusion, D.C. United and Real Salt Lake. In addition to his MLS Cup title with RSL in 2009, he also won with D.C. in 2004.
