This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
On that soggy evening in downtown Portland, Caleb Porter could do no more than just tip his hat. In the Oct. 17 0-0 draw at Providence Park — a match in which the Timbers desperately needed to win in order to keep hold of their postseason destiny — they ran into an all-too-familiar foe. Nick Rimando had one of those Rimando outings, of which teams around Major League Soccer know too well. The opposition pressed and pressed and when the ball seemed certain to glide into the back of the net, Real Salt Lake's 35-year-old goalkeeper, the all-time MLS regular-season shutout king, was there.
"That's why he's the shutout leader in this league," Porter said that night. "When he does retire, he's going to go down as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of this league."
In a season in which the already-decorated Rimando earned regular-season shutout No. 113 in a 3-0 win over former club D.C. United on Aug. 10 weeks after returning from his first-ever World Cup experience with the U.S. men's national team in Brazil, the dream year wasn't enough to snap the streak. On Wednesday, D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid was named Major League Soccer's 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year. Rimando's fourth nomination in his 15-year MLS career resulted in watching another goalkeeper be awarded the honor.
The 24-year-old Hamid earned a weighted total of 97.78, earning 30.49 percent of the club votes, 40 percent of the media votes and 27.29 percent of player votes. Rimando's total — an 88.76 — was added up as 26.83 percent of club votes, 33.33 percent of media does and 28.60 percent of player votes.
Rimando took to social media Wednesday to congratulate Hamid and said he's "been the 5'10 GK my whole life so nothing is expected."
In 2014, Rimando allowed 25 goals in 24 games played. He had 71 saves and seven shutouts with a 13-4-7 record between the posts for RSL. He had a league-best 1.04 goals against average this season. The two-time MLS Cup winner and 2009 MLS Cup final MVP now has 116 career regular-season shutouts entering what will be season No. 16 in 2015.
In an interview with SI.com scribe Brian Straus in April, Rimando said of the annual snub, "Earlier in my career, I'd probably have a different answer. But now, I've been looked over so many times and had to rely on how I do on the field and the confidence I have within myself. It's great to get those awards, but now I almost take pride in not getting the award anymore. I don't want a pity award. I want to go out there and control what I can control."
-Chris Kamrani
Twitter: chriskamrani