Sandy » Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando 's 10th season in Major League Soccer has been one to remember.

"Nick has had a very good season," said RSL coach Jason Kreis , whose team visits Houston on Saturday for a critical game against the Western Conference-leading Dynamos.

In 21 games, Rimando's record is 8-7-6, including seven shutouts.

His goals against average of 1.08 is down from 1.30 last season and 1.37 in 2007.

"I feel like, this year, he's had less to deal with than in years past," Kreis said. "Certainly, in my first two seasons as coach, he was the MVP of the team and that was because he had to make, like, 1,000 saves."

With improved defense in front of him, Kreis believes "the number of blatant scoring chances we have afforded the other team has gone way down. But in a lot of ways, that requires a goalkeeper to stay even more focused ... [and] Nick has been very, very good."

Asked if this has been his best season, Rimando shrugs.

"You can always do better," he said. "If you get caught looking at the stats, that's when you mess up. I know there are some goals I would like to take back this year and that's where you can always improve on."

Rimando credits the experience gained from playing 223 Major League Soccer games for part of his success.

"Every time a goalkeeper gets to play more games and gets confident in goal, you get better," he said.

Beltran out, Mathis iffy

Defender-midfielder Tony Beltran will serve a suspension and miss the game at Houston, while midfielder forward Clint Mathis is doubtful because of an ankle injury.

On the positive side for Real Salt Lake, midfielder Kyle Beckerman is back from a suspension and midfielder Javier Morales is 100 percent after being sidelined with an ankle injury.

For Kreis, juggling his lineup has been a common practice this season.

In the first 25 games, he used 22 different players and started 19.

"... It's certainly been the most turbulent year I can remember," Kreis said. "To be honest, I haven't coached that long. But of the three, this is the most turbulent with national team call-ups, with injuries, with suspensions and with loaning players out. It's really been a mixed bag of who's going to be at training sessions from one day to the next."

Kreis says such a revolving door "has presented some difficulties for us, for sure. But the guys have stepped up and done a pretty good job."

Dynamo adds Thompson

The Dynamos will have a new player in uniform against RSL.

This week, Houston acquired forward Abe Thompson and cash from Kansas City in exchange for forward Kei Kamara .

Thompson played eight games for the Wizards this season, including one as a starter. In his career, which includes a 31/2-year stint with FC Dallas, Thompson has scored 14 goals in 85 games played.