SANDY, Utah – A penalty is never guaranteed when Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando is between the pipes.
And the LA Galaxy are the latest team to have been reminded of Rimando’s greatness after Juninho was denied on a second-half stoppage-time spot kick, allowing RSL to escape with a scoreless draw Wednesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.
“Save it,” Rimando said when asked about his thoughts when the PK was awarded. “Try to save it. Try to stall a little bit. Try to ask the referee what’s going on. Try to figure out what the foul was about and then just focus on the ball. I was lucky to guess the right way.”
The penalty came in the 90th minute and was awarded after a free kick from 25 yards out. RSL defender Jamison Olave and Omar Gonzalez tangled in the box, sending the LA center back sprawling to the turf and leading to the assistant referee to raise his flag and head referee Jose Carlos Rivero to point to the spot.
Juninho’s attempt was low, hard and to Rimando’s left. The 16-year veteran reacted perfectly, parrying the ball down the end line and far away from the goal.
Lucky or not, Rimando notched the 24th regular-season penalty-kick save of his decorated career. Opposing kick takers are a shaky 42 of 66 when facing the player fans affectionately call “the Wall of the Wasatch.”
It’s gotten to the point where Rimando’s teammates actually expect it.
“The guy’s incredible” RSL defender Tony Beltran said in the locker room after the match. “He’s clutch. Hands-down, he’s the greatest ‘keeper to play in this league, and it’s a pleasure to play in front of him.
“Every time someone steps up against him, I’m always thinking about, ‘Alright, get in position, because Nick’s gonna save it.’”
It was perhaps hard luck that RSL were faced with the perspective of losing at all. Rimando’s LA counterpart Jaime Penedo was just as strong in the opposite net, recording six saves – several of which were of the spectacular variety, and RSL had played aggressive, opportunistic soccer all match long.
In the end, it was a thrilling finish and a step in the right direction if you ask RSL head coach Jeff Cassar despite his team's winless and goal-less streaks stretching to five games.
“I thought our possession was good tonight,” Cassar said. “I thought we made good choices on the ball under difficult circumstances. Overall I’m really pleased with tonight. Obviously the game is to get three points at home, and I thought we pushed and came up just a little bit short on the points, but not on the performance.”
