Real Salt Lake: goalkeeper Nick Rimando lands All-Star nod to top his record season

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Photo/Real Salt Lake

Last year, Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando watched his city’s Major League Soccer All-Star festivities unfold from the Rio Tinto stadium stands.

This year, however, Rimando will not only play in the MLS All-Star Game in Houston‘s Reliant Stadium, he’ll probably start based on his record-setting year and should join teammates Javier Morales and Jamison Olave in the side.

“It’s a terrific honor to be selected again to the MLS All-Star Team,” said Rimando. “It will be a great privilege to represent both Major League Soccer and Real Salt Lake next week against one of the biggest clubs in the world in Manchester United, and it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”

Rimando has simply been unstoppable this season, garnering Top 5 marks in goals-against average (0.81-third), wins (9-second), shutouts (7-second) and in minutes played (1,480-second).

Amazingly enough, 2010 only marks Rimando’s second All-Star appearance (his first came with the then-Miami Fusion in 2001). Barring an unforeseen circumstance, the 31-year-old Rimando is slated to start against Manchester United July 28 due in part to First XI selection, LA Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts being on international duty that week.

Rimando has won just as many MLS Cup titles as he has had All-Star nods.
That’s all the more remarkable, considering Rimando’s career achievements rank Top 10 in most statistical categories.

2010 AT&T MLS All-Star Game Roster
Goalkeepers
Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy)*
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) &
Defenders
Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)*
Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew) *
Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake)*
Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA) &
Heath Pearce (FC Dallas) &
Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire) &
Kevin Alston (New England Revolution) &
Midfielders
Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC) *
Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire)*
Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake) *
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew) *
Sebastian LeToux (Philadelphia Union) &
David Ferreira (FC Dallas) &
Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo) &
Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution) &
Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids) &
Forwards
Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy) *
Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) *
Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls) &
Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo) +
Jaime Moreno (D.C. United) +
Unavailable
Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake)

* Denotes selection to First XI Team
+ Denotes a Commissioner’s Selection
& Denotes Coach’s Selection

Online fan balloting comprising 25 percent of the combined First XI vote, with MLS coaches and GMs (25 percent), media (25 percent), and players (25 percent) accounting for the remainder. Players and coaches/general managers could not register votes for players on their own teams.