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For the second straight MLS All-Star Game, Nick Rimando faced a premier European club and delivered highlight-reel saves, often at point-blank range. The 36-year-old Real Salt Lake goalkeeper on three difference occasions stopped star Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane in the first half.

It wasn't revealed until after the MLS All-Stars beat Tottenham 2-1 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., Wednesday night that Rimando nearly didn't play against Spurs due to a knee injury.

Rimando told reporters post-game Wednesday night that he's dealing with an MCL contusion suffered in the final day of training with the U.S. men's national team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.

All-Star head coach Pablo Mastroeni said Rimando couldn't manage kicking a ball due to the pain as late as Tuesday. According to Kyle McCarthy of FOX Soccer, Mastroeni left the decision up to Rimando, who decided to play through the pain Wednesday evening.

Rimando said afterward that if the All-Star Game was Tuesday, he wouldn't have played. According to McCarthy, Rimando said he'd speak frankly with RSL coach Jeff Cassar regarding his current condition when he re-joins RSL in Washington D.C. ahead of the club's massive four-game, three-country road trip, which starts Thursday when the club heads east to face D.C. United on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Both Rimando and RSL right back Tony Beltran, who started and played 45 minutes, are expected to join RSL in D.C. sometime this week.

Making his second-consecutive All-Star Game start, Rimando's three first-half saves on Kane kept the All-Stars ahead after taking a 2-0 first half lead behind goals from Orlando City's Kaká and New York City FC's David Villa.

Kane did, however, laser a shot into the back of the net in the 37th minute from 25-yards out to pull one back for Tottenham. Between his start last year against Bayern Munich in Portland, Ore., and Wednesday night's start against Spurs, Rimando has eight saves and has allowed two goals in his last two MLS All-Star outings.

How Rimando's knee injury affects his short-term availability remains up in the air, although the fact he was healthy enough to start and play 45 minutes is a positive sign moving forward. If the MCL issue remains, RSL could continue to lean on goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, who has been stellar in place of Rimando the last five weeks.

RSL faces D.C. United Saturday night, then boards a flight Saturday morning for Guatemala City to commence its CONCACAF Champions League group Tuesday against C.S.D. Municipal. The trip continues in Vancouver on Aug. 8 and finally at Sporting Park to face rival Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani