That's our next guest. I could use a ton of superlatives. The Wall of the wasatch the best to ever do it in Major League soccer, and now we can add to it. Nick Romondo Hall of Famer as Nicky was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the twenty twenty five class just a few days ago, the first RSL player ever to be inducted. So Nick, the first thing first, man, So proud of you. Congratulations, how you doing, Thank you man?
Yeah, World wind Tour. Just got back from being inducted in Dallas, and just so real for me to be amongst the names of so many great American soccer players and people being inducted into the Hall of Fame. So just feeling so happy, so grateful, so blessed. And to be the first to ever do it from oursel obviously that's a special feeling as well.
Let me ask you this, Nick, because as I referenced, I certainly am proud of you. I know a lot of people, including my old man, very proud of you. What are you most proud about during this journey that is culminated with an induction into the Hall of Fame?
Yeah, I tried to get your pops down there. Unfortunately, you know, your dad has a busy schedule, but he was able to send me a nice little little gift to the house. That was very nice of him. But for me, I think just the consistency of being able to play for twenty years. You know what it takes to play for that long, to be able to take care of your body, have the trust from the organizations and teammates, your coaching staff, and to stay the longevity of just being at a club for so long, like
Real Salt Lakes. So and again, I think I would be remiss not to say that, you know, the experiences I've had with the national team, going to represent the country down at the World Cup in twenty fourteen was very special for me. And obviously the whole journey, the whole journey makes me who I am as a player, as a person, and the ups and downs of my careers and just just again just this reminiscing and looking
back on my career. There's so many ups and downs that maybe the person I am today And just just again just feeling so grateful to be in the Hall of Fame.
No, you're a big music guy. I was watching this documentary, this music documentary on Glastonbury, this music festival, and they interviewed Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, after that big cold Play, like their their first Glastonbury concert, and he said something that struck with me because they said, and you know, guys like you who achieve, and guys like lead singers of a band, you know, they start with a dream and then they followed the dream and
work as hard as they could. And I'll never forget what he said. He said, my dreams never got this big. I never got here in my dreams. Were you did you dare to dream that something like this was a possibility for you when you were starting out playing soccer or did your dreams never get this big?
No? You know, I never started playing soccer to be in the Hall of Fame. It was because I loved the sport. I loved the competition, I love the band. I love to see my teammates and being a part of the team and the goal to reach you know, the finals, the playoffs. That I was just a competitive person.
And obviously when you start playing for as long as I did, to act like start to you know, accumulate a little bit more and more, and if you win, if you do well, you know, your name might get you know, shine bright a couple of times here and there. But I think if you ask anybody that has been inducted, they don't they don't do it to be in the Hall of Fame, to do it because they love the sport. And yeah, as you continue to play, those ambitions get
a little bit bigger and bright. And as I, you know, won the MLS Cup, it's like, what could I do next, Let's go to the Goal Cup. Let's let's get on the national team. And then obviously the goal was to make it to the World Cup, and and uh, to be able to achieve that that goal the biggest goal of my of mine and playing and one of the biggest soccer tournaments or sports tournaments in the world was
massive to me. And I guess when when you're done playing, maybe there's a little hope that that there's gonna be some recognition somewhere here and there, and and and to be recognized by the Hall of Fame and be inducted, that's that's the biggest for me.
I wonder Nick, because you know, the hero's journey contains a lot of ups and downs, and life is not a straight line and careers are not linear. And you had a really interesting career where you started out, you know, on a trajectory that was going straight up with Miami
and you want a supporter shield. You know, you were a starter as a rookie, and then you went to d C and you know, you were able to get the starting job for a minute, you guys want a cup and then you lost your starting job and ultimately you landed here in in a trade that brought RSL. Freddy you do and you turned out to be the gem of that deal. But at the time, I think
there were some questions. Did you ever question yourself during that time when you had lost your job and you landed here, grabbed the starting job and the rest is history. But did you ever have doubts during that process?
Yeah? Of course, And again like that's I touched on a little bit. But who made It's what made me as a player, the down more than anything, the injuries, the not playing someone else taking my starting position. It's believing in yourself, pushing yourself through there are in those moments, letting that be the feel not you know, not the ceiling of who you are as a player and a person. And I really think if I didn't have any setbacks in my in my career and everything was just jolly
and going straightforward, I wouldn't be where I'm at. Uh. It's those it's those setbacks and injuries that again made me and made me go through the hard times in my career and and really really flourish and the good times and and uh, you know, push me through to get to those moments, you know, winning in two thousand and nine, going to the MLS club and even losing. I think I believe those twenty twelves a KC. Those feelings stick with you and and and you don't want
to feel those feelings again. So you get back on that on that on that field and in the gym, and you try to do whatever you can not to have that feeling again of losing, and it just pushes you through. Everybody has more innovation in their own way, and and and mind was through the losses and and and those learning experiences and how to get back on that horse.
You know what I didn't know until recently because we were talking about your induction. You never won MLS Keeper of the year. In your entire career, that award never came your way once.
No, no, I figure I was close a couple of times, but uh never never was able to get it. And and and listen, there were some good goalkeepers in my time and not not to you know, be that humble guy all the time, but you got to give it to some of these goalkeepers. Man, every time I thought I maybe had it, and again you don't. You don't start the year it may be a goal, but you don't push for it. And at the end of the year you're like, Okay, maybe I got it and it
was just never on the table for me. And I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that. I have so many more experiences and uh and then friendships and teammates and awards that I got through my career and and but it is. It is a talking point for sure.
Look, dude, you have the MLS records for minutes games played, wins, clean sheets, saves, and penalty kicks. There's literally nothing else you could have done. So I will complain for you. The fact that you never won that award once is beyond stupid.
I think you and my mom agreed.
Okay, fair enough. Well that I'm in good company because I've met your mother. Of course, she's a lovely lady. Hey, let me ask you this, What was it about, you know, whether it was simply salt Lake being a new fresh start or John Ellinger and then Jason christ you know, believing in you. What was it that made this market at that time the right fit for you, that allowed you to go on to break all these records.
Yeah, well, for me, it needed I needed a change. I wasn't the number one in DC. I was really in good with with DC United and the front office, so they helped me, you know, get out of there and gave me some options. It was Kansas City, Columbus, and I think Salt Lake City were at the top of the list for trading options. And honestly, for me, it was just trying to get as west as I could, and salt Lake was that and I was thinking, Okay, if I could somehow end my career in California, that
would be great. I'm back to where you know I'm from, But salt Lake is it was a home. It fit me, it fit my family, the people here, that the relationships I built the club Now to this day. Have have a great relationship with them and I owe a lot to them. In my career, so many people did to name,
but this is home. After I was done playing, there was there was, you know a handful of MLS clubs that wanted me to come and get into coaching with their first teams, And for me, it was just it wasn't the right time and and honestly, I wanted to see what coaching was about, what what that next level was about, and what better place to do do it at than my home club where my kids are and really dip my toes and what is coaching things all about?
So again they open up their arms to me and let me be the coach version of myself and see if I like it or not. And I just love it here man, the weather, the changing of the weather, the people that you know where I live, ride in my bikes everywhere, that the concert scene, the restaurant scene. It's just evolving through the years, and I'm happy this is home.
Yeah, you really have carved out an excellent piece of real estate for yourself, both literally and figuraively in this market with the businesses you run, the coaching you're doing, and the presence you have. I wonder I want to kick the tires with the coaching stuff for a little bit, Nikki, because from my experience interviewing players and coaches over the years, and specifically players like you that decide to get into coaching, nothing will ever capture the buzz of playing, right, I mean,
I think that's fair to say. But does coaching come close at all? And what's your experience been like so Faruff you.
Cut out a little bit spence.
That again, Bud, I'll reduce it to make it quicker. I don't think anybody, I don't think anything can ever capture the buzz of the buzz you had when you were playing. I just don't think that's possible. But does the coaching thing come close? And what's been your experience so far with the coaching experience?
Yeah? No, I mean when you step on the field and you put the mids on and you got the cleats underneath, the lights and the pressures and trying to accomplish something as a team, that's a whole different filling than you know, put it on the running shoes and a polo before a game, that's for sure, But you know, it keeps me involved you can't buy experiences, and the experience I've had in the game, I think, you know, real monitor the academy kids that I've been working with,
and even the first team if if there's you know, I see them around a lot in the locker room and we you know, small talk hand. They're about games. But I think you're never going to get that same filling of being the player. But I hope that you know, my presence on the sideline, on the training, training field will give these players an upper hand, you know, with my experiences.
All right, Nick, you before I set you loose, because I know you have to run. I always hesitate to either dismiss or annoint an MLS team based off the start because some of the best teams we've ever had here they've started slowly and some of the worst have started quickly. It has been an up and down start to say the least. But Rath has been really good. I wonder what your take is on this new keeper for the club and your thoughts on if Pablo and the group can turn around.
Yeah. I see Rafa every day. His training habits are second to none. What he's doing on the field, isn't it surprising? Me because he comes in and works hard every single day. His technique is upstanding and other players to look up to, and I'm just really really proud to see Rafa step in and be so consistent with the team. And he's been one of the players in
my opinion throughout throughout the season so far. Obviously you have to be you have to think of Diego Luna as well, who and we could get back on track. You know, we've had some injuries. I'm trying to get you know, I think some some.
Let's let him go, all right, Uh there you go. I think he copped in his car. I think he probably had to get to practice, is my guest this time of day, right.
I think actually another soccer game, daughter soccer game.
Well, yeah, he's got to uh two growing kids. I'm sure he's uh there there. There's there's nothing more complicated than you're doing an interview and you can tell that they're walking from their house to the car. Then you got to get in the car, got to start the car, got to pull out of the driveway. So that's my guest that we had Nick in his house and then he had to get in his vehicle.
I think you actually when you cut out was him the headphones going into the the car. So I think you're spot.
On, Nick Romando, Hall of Famer. I will repeat this now. We do this thing in our market where you know, we always complain to Jerry Sloan never one coach of the Year, which was a crime. I think Jerry had a case four or five different times. Nick Romondo has the MLS records for minutes played, games played, career wins, clean sheets, saves, and penalty kick saves. Is there anything else that you can Is there any other record you
can hold as a keeper? I feel like Nick has literally every record in MLS history that you can carry as a as a goalkeeper.
I think so, at least as we're talking career spans, right, there's no one that really comes close to Nick Romondo. And when you look at the comparison spence, they are several of them. They are records that appear like they could stand for a very long time in Major League soccer. Yeah, I don't know that there's much more. You know, you don't rely on on goalies for goals, but I always like that one. That's always fun when a goalie has a couple of goals on the sheet.
Maybe assists distribution out of the back porter.
It's important.
It's important soccer terms. I don't mean to get too deep, but you got to be able to provide distribution from the back line. Nick was actually good at that. I don't know how many career as Sissy have he had, but I think he had a few. So outside of goals and assists that you do not count on your keeper to provide, Nick has all of the meat and potato records in MLS.
Yeah, I believe so. As you said, probably a crime that he was never given that award. And you go back to some of the ways that RSL won and one playoff games, one games down the stretch, it was shootouts. It was one nill right that I mean to rely on your keeper quite often. So yeah, shout out to Nikki. Well deserved Hall of Famer, even if he didn't get that Keeper of the Year wark.
Throughout the course of RSL's runs back in the you know, the two thousand and seven to twenty fifteen sixteen run when Nick was really peaked. Nick, if you weren't there, or if you weren't watching consistently, it's hard to explain how many big time saves he came up with not just throughout the run of play soccer term, not trying to get too deep, but also just penalty kick saves PK shootouts. Certainly MLS Cup. They saw RSL beat that La Galaxy team that had landon Donovan and David Beckham
on it. And you know, it's interesting to consider, you know, nicks Nick's story is a really really just simply a really good life lesson because as I talked to Nicky about, ironically enough, Nick's career started out in Miami with the Miami Fusion. They picked him thirty fifth overall in the third round of the draft, and the starting keeper in Miami at the time was a guy named Jeff Kassar, and Nick took Jeff's job. Ironically enough, Jeff was the
goalkeeper coach under Jason Christ here in Salt Lake. So Nick was started as a rookie and then started twenty five games the next season, and the Fusion won the Supporter Shield in two thousand and one. With Nick and goal Miami now has a soccer team. I don't know if you've heard they've got a player. I don't know
how to pronounce his name. I think it's MESSI but Miami was contracted after the two thousand and one season, so Soccer and Miami was done and the players were dispersed via an allocation draft, and Nicky was taken by DC United, who was coached by Ray Hudson, who coached Nick in Miami. And in two thousand and two, Nick
played in every game. Two thousand and three, he missed the end of the season with an injury, but then he lost his job to Troy Perkins because Ray Hudson lost his job, and I want to say, Bruce Arena took the job in DC and then Nick actually took the job back and they won MLS Cup that year. But then he lost out to Troykins again in two thousand and six, so he was their second string keeper. And I think what a lot of people may forget
is we had Nick here for a minute. But then Nick lost his starting job here in saw Lake to a guy named Scott Garlic and so Nick was sent back to DC United. Okay, so he was sent back. Excuse me, he was actually traded to the New York Red Bulls. Okay, so he was traded to the New York Red Bulls because Scott Garlic won the job here. So Scott Garlic was going to be the keeper here. He was the first choice keeper, he had won the job,
and Nick was in New York. Well, I'll never forget being in RSL's offices when a phone call came through and the general manager at the time, Steve Pastorino John Allinger, was kind of making most of the decisions. But John Allinger informed the staff that Scott Garlic was retiring from Major League Soccer because he got a good job in real estate. And I can remember thinking like, Okay, this is not the NBA, this is not the NFL. This
is a different league. If you're starting keeper who had won the job and was under contract and probably had three or four years left to play, decided he was retiring from soccer because he wanted to pursue real estate.
This is a different thing altogether. So John Ellinger, to his credit, had to scramble and he calls New York and as the story goes, New York I believe gave John the choice between two keepers and Nick was one of them, and John said, just send Nick back to us and let's see what we can do with that. And the deal again for Romando was made to acquire Freddie Adue, who was thought to be the future of
American soccer. He was a teenage kid when he was receiving national team call ups, and Freddie had played for John Ellinger at the Bradenton Academy with the developmental program for the national team. So the attention in that transaction was on Freddie and not Nick. Nick was kind of a throw in, and then they had to panic to get Nick back because our keeper retired. They made Nick the number one overall keeper in two thousand and seven, and all he did after that was go on to
break every record that MLS has for keepers. So pretty phenomenal story. And Nick deserves a lot of credit because obviously RSL went on to win MLS Cup in two thousand and nine, they went onto a CONCACAFF Champions Final, almost becoming the first MLS team to win the CONCACAFF Champions League, and then nearly won a Cup again but
lost to KC in the final. And then Nick played through twenty nineteen, so it played another five years after that, and we'll go down as one of, if not the best keeper in the history of this league, and certainly a legend for RSL