Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

ON June 4, President Barack Obama will congratulate members of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Real Salt Lake team for winning the league title last season.

Among those, Obama will shake hands with is Salt Lake goalkeeper and Filipino American soccer star Nick Rimando.

Rimando helped defeat the Los Angeles Galaxy’s, led by David Beckham, by saving two crucial attempts at goal during the penalty phase during the championship game to capture the MLS Cup. For his efforts, Rimando was named the 2009 MLS Cup Most Valuable Player and next week, he’ll be meeting with the leader of the free world.

The 31-year-old, 5’ 11" Rimando, a 10-year MLS veteran and two-time MLS Cup Champion, is proud to represent the Filipino community as the only known Filipino in the MLS. Rimando’s father is Filipino and his mother is Mexican.

"I just try to go out there everyday and do my job," said Rimando to Henni Espinosa of ABS-CBN. "If I can represent the Filipino community like that, then I’m happy."

Soccer is not a popular sport in the Philippines where basketball and boxing have become national obsessions and large spaces for a soccer field is scarce. But despite the game’s lack of popularity, soccer is still played in the Philippines and has a rich history starting in the 1900’s.

Paulino Alcantara, a Spanish-Filipino, is the country’s most well-known and accomplished soccer player. Alcantara played for Spain’s national team in the 1920’s and is the leading scorer of all time for famed soccer program FC Barcelona.

And now with a new generation looking on, it’s Rimando’s turn to represent the millions of Filipino soccer fans.