Supporters fall in love with lots of players over the years, but few have enjoyed the unanimous approval that Jimmy Nielsen did in his time in Kansas City.
Nielsen backstopped the club for four seasons from 2010 to 2013, captaining the club for the final two of those seasons and capturing the 2012 US Open Cup title and the 2013 MLS Cup in back-to-back seasons.
He won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2012 after a dominating performance that saw him have 15 clean sheets in 34 games played. It was just one shy of the MLS record of 16 shutouts set by Tony Meola in 2000.
In short, Jimmy’s arrival coincided with the transformation of Kansas City Wizards’ caterpillar into Sporting Kansas City’s butterfly and he was a huge part of that process.
Jimmy Nielsen’s pink match worn shirt has some intriguing aspects to research.
Up close, the first thing that draws the eye is the club crest and how different it is compared to most shirts from that time frame in both material and application. The crest is fully heat pressed (just like the back numbers are, at least typically) and lacks the clubs star for winning the MLS Cup in 2000.
To make things even more interesting, there is embossed lettering on the shirt pressing through the crest that states “TEAM CREST HERE" that is visible if you look closely. That makes me wonder if this particular shirt was an early prototype of the style/color that ended up being used.
My research has found that Nielsen wore a pink primary kit without the silver star in just one match in 2013; March 2nd, 2013 against the Philadelphia Union in a 3-1 victory. It was the first match of the season, so it lines up with the half-baked shirt as the kinks may not have quite been ironed out in the kitroom for the season just yet.
The White Puma made 5 saves against the Union to cap off a stellar season opener for Sporting Kansas City.
This kit is unwashed and has dirt and mud staining, as well as some marks on the chest that look like scuffs from the ball.
Jimmy was yet another in a pretty spectacular line of goalkeepers that have played for the Wizards and/or Sporting Kansas City.
His personality captured the heart of the SKC faithful, and his play delivered results that will be remembered for decades to come.