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Always just a phone call away.
That's how it was for Nick Rimando under Jurgen Klinsmann.
And that's how it remained for Rimando under Bruce Arena.
It'd been nearly two years since his last start in goal sporting the U.S. men's national team crest, and one of Major League Soccer's most-decorated goalkeepers was in sort of an awkward limbo, not knowing if he'd already seen the final phase of his USMNT career.
"I didn't know if that call was going to come or if it wasn't," said Real Salt Lake's 37-year-old goalkeeper. "I didn't know what direction that Bruce wanted to go in."
The phone rang, after all. And it's clear now Rimando's national team career has more chapters ahead under Arena's second go as USMNT boss. The RSL shot-stopper was named to the annual U.S. January camp last month, along with four other MLS-based keepers. Rimando beat out the lot to earn the first start in a scoreless friendly against Serbia last month, his first since April 15, 2015, against Mexico.
With longtime starter Tim Howard rehabbing an injury suffered in World Cup qualifiers last November and Brad Guzan not seeing much time with Middlesbrough in the English Premier League, Rimando has a shot to start the upcoming pressure-packed home World Cup qualifier against Honduras at on March 24 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif.
"It's a must-win," Rimando said. "It's a very important game for U.S. Soccer. It's in the States, in San Jose, in front of our home crowd, we have to win that game — no ifs, ands or buts about it. We have to get three points in that game."
The "have to" is due to the severe stumble the U.S. had in its first two CONCACAF qualifiers in the fall: A 2-1 home loss to Mexico and later a 4-0 drubbing at Costa Rica that ultimately cost Klinsmann his job as U.S. coach after five years at the helm. Rimando, the third goalkeeper at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, has 22 career national-team caps and has been the starter in goal for CONCACAF Gold Cup trophies. So when the call came, the RSL keeper once again wanted to prove himself.
"It was a no-brainer to go into camp and to kind of show Bruce that I want to be there and I want to be considered as a goalkeeper for these qualifiers," Rimando said.
Arena said in a recent conference call with reporters that Rimando's January camp performance stood out. But the U.S. coach said because Guzan, who is set to join MLS expansion franchise Atlanta United this summer, isn't getting starting minutes in England, that doesn't rule him out of the No. 1 goalkeeper spot for the upcoming qualifiers.
"I think Brad has shown enough that he's still a strong candidate to be our No. 1 goalkeeper," Arena said.
Rimando said he's remained in contact with Howard this offseason as the Colorado Rapids starting keeper rehabs from leg surgery in mid-November. Arena said Howard also could be in the picture for the March qualifiers, but it still remains to be seen if he'll be part of the equation for the Honduras match in the Bay Area.
"I know if I'm not playing in that game, I'm going to push Timmy, Brad or whoever it is playing in that game," Rimando said. "I know if I do get that game, they're going to push me if they're in camp. … It's such an important game, but when you wear that crest, you want to do well as a team and you want to help that person that's playing."
Thrust into a must-win scenario with a new, yet familiar coach against Honduras and later at Panama on March 28, the qualifiers will be a test of Arena's ability to quickly gel a group that fell apart against Mexico and Costa Rica a few months ago.
"We put ourselves in this position in not getting the results in the first two games dug us a little hole, so this is not the journey I think we all wanted in the beginning," Rimando said. "But again, we put ourselves in this position and we have to dig ourselves out and to get two victories will help that."
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Nick Rimando
Position • Goalkeeper
Age • 37
Hometown • Montclair, Calif.
Résumé • Real Salt Lake (2007 to current), D.C. United (2002 to 2006), Miami Fusion (2000 to 2001)
Stacking up the records • Owns MLS records for wins (183), shutouts (129) and starts (424)
National-team career • 22 career USMNT caps, most recently 0-0 draw vs. Serbia in San Diego on Jan. 29