Next year, Philadelphia will again attempt the improbable by bringing professional soccer back to the city. There have been numerous tries at this task over the years and all have failed.

Will the same happen to this Union squad? Absolutely not. Why? They have something that all of the previous clubs did not. That's right. They have the Sons of Ben.

The Sons of Ben is a soccer-crazed organization solely dedicated to bringing professional soccer back to Philly. They are, in short, a group of the most passionate soccer fans in the world.

The Sons of Ben were the driving force behind the creation of the Union. They worked tirelessly to push the MLS to give Philadelphia soccer one more try. So, the Philadelphia Union are most likely the last chance for soccer in Philly. 

So, the big question is: Which type of Philadelphia team will this Union team personify? Will they become an annual let-down like the Sixers or the Iggles (yeah, they get a bad wrap)? Or will they become carbon-copies of the beloved Phillies? Or, perhaps, they acquire their own, unique identity, like the Flyers.

Yes, soccer has never truly thrived in our city. However, I would be kidding myself if I didn't acknowledge that this Union club does have a different feel to it. And they haven't stepped onto the pitch yet.

Hopefully, this team helps to shape soccer in Philly and across the nation. If it does, we will all have the Sons of Ben to thank.

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Nashville, Tenn., is one of 27 U.S. cities being considered to host one or more World Cup matches in either 2018 or 2022, the city's Metropolitan Sports Authority announced Thursday.

City leaders gave permission to continue with any campaigning associated with FIFA. While one in 27 doesn't sound like great odds, Nashville managed to survive the first round of 58 to fight another day.

Nashville would need to survive two rounds of cuts in order to become a finalist. That final decision will occur around December of 2010.

Nashville is no stranger to international friendlies and even hosted a World Cup qualifier match on April 1, 2009. That match drew 27,959 fans to set a record for the largest crowd to attend a soccer match in the state of Tennessee.

The qualifier between the U.S. men's national team and Trinidad and Tobago was played at LP field, which is where the future matches would be held. LP Field has a capacity of 68,798, though in the past fans have sat in the lower bowl area only. If the entire facility was opened, quite a few hooligans could take in the contest!

City leaders believe a successful bid would generate huge revenues and also put Nashville on the map as a viable sports town. I am biased as a resident, but I would definitely attend at least one match if this comes to fruition.

A link to the Metropolitan Sports Authority: http://www.nashville.gov/sports_authority

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Yanks-Abroad is a great site.  I read it near religiously.  You should too.

The name alone, however, suggests its latent bias—one toward a preference for US players that are playing abroad, and a (general) disinterest in MLS.  That made Brent Latham’s new Yanks Abroad piece “PHILLY..GO AMERICAN!” such a peculiar and interesting one.  It is a worthy read, so I won’t recap it here, but needless to say he makes an interesting argument that the Philadelphia Union has a unique opportunity to go 100 percent American with its roster—and that it might actually be a good idea.

A thought provoking idea, for sure, but I am struggling with some of the surrounding analysis. Here are some themes or points Brent made that trouble me a bit.

The fact that more US players leading the scoring charts would “…fight a trend that threatens to make it less relevant on the international soccer scene.” 

This depends on how you define international soccer “relevance”.  I could see a few ways to build “relevance”: 

A) MLS clubs start beating International club teams from top-leagues in something that matters,

B) MLS clubs compete for, or sign players who are respected/desired by European clubs or

C) MLS provides talent to International clubs that succeed in the best leagues.  

MLS Clubs do not do “A” very frequently.  Superliga—though entertaining—is a weak competition in terms of international respect—at least outside of Mexico.  Well, perhaps within Mexico too... The MLS All Star Game?  Good fun.  But not “real” by any stretch of the imagination.

I would say that “B” almost REQUIRES the player to be an International, since any American player “coming home” provides a built-in excuse for the Euro’s to say he’s headed to MLS for “non-sporting reasons”.  And for relevance, to me it is hard to name four bigger things MLS has done lately than the additions of David Beckham, Freddie Ljungberg, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and perhaps Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Blanco might only add Mexican respect, and GBS may only add South American credibility, but still...). These players came and played hard, but they were not able to dominate the league.

The “C” option is likely where we have more chance and history of “relevance” in the international soccer community.  Providing talent to European or other top-tier international teams.  However, I think it matters little to the “international soccer scene” if the players we are growing, showcasing and/or selling come from the USA, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, or anywhere else.     

MLS will be relevant if it is successful as a feeder system to them, not for where those players come from.  There is a difference between US Soccer relevance and MLS relevance.

Another general theme is: While Europe is probably the best place for a young American creative talent to develop, they might be well served with more options in the USA.

I generally agree—the more options for American players, the better.  I think the evidence is out on if/when there is a right time to jump to Europe—especially for “creative” players.  So many of our promising US Players end up floundering post transfer (Eddie Johnson and Freddy Adu are easy examples.).  Would Landon Donovan be better if he stayed in (or went back to) to Europe?  Maybe.

The interesting thing I struggle with here though, isn’t that more MLS options for creative/offensive American players in MLS is a bad thing—surely not—but the suggestion that including international players alongside them stunts their growth.   Yes, there are only so many positions on the field, thus limiting overall chances when there’s an experienced foreign international player.  

However, I’d be curious to measure (impossible, of course) what difference Carlos Valderamma made on Steve Ralston’s game.  Or what effect Guillermo Barros Schelotto is having on Eddie Gaven, or Robbie Rodgers?  Etc. Etc.

Hey, there are other successful clubs that do this, why not in Philly?

Examples of Chivas Guadalajara and Athletic Bilbao are given to prove that an “all local” team can survive, or even thrive.  The problem I see is that both Chivas and Athletic have a terrific feeder system, and development capability (or at least, I suspect so) by which they can source (grow? groom?) local talent.  (Especially Athletic, since Chivas can “buy” good Mexican talent more easily than Athletic can “buy” good Basque talent.)   MLS clubs' development and youth programs are nascent, to be kind, and far from reliable.  This presents a significant hurdle since one American-only club will have trouble out-bidding others for American talent in MLS.

So I’m against this “All American Team” thing, right?

No, not at all.  In fact, in “What is a ‘Chivas’ anyway?” I suggested that—in a very different direction than the go-America theme—maybe Chivas USA blew it when they gave up their ambitious All-Latino goal.  Why not have a themed team?

Brent rightly calls out some risks—but leans heavily on the “marketing value” associated with “Team USA” as a saving grace.  That, however, might be the biggest risk.  Do US fans still need some convincing that American players are the headliners?   David Beckham isn’t here just because he hits good crosses and free-kicks, now is he?

Marketability—as well as capability—would be key to building such a team.   I suspect Freddy Adu (“Wunderkind comes Home”) is looking for playing time.  Maybe Jermaine Jones (“Loves the USA so much he Dumped Germany!”) is interested?

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Instead, here are some largely unfiltered thoughts on yesterday’s MLS Cup.

It was a Cup Final: Last night’s game was not filled with particularly pretty soccer nor as many goal-mouth chances as I’d like to see, but this is what Cup finals are often like. What was noticeable . . . players cared. Players played sick. Players tried to play hurt. Fans watched. (Actually I don’t know that anybody watched, but I can hope.)

Counter ‘this’: I was lightly supporting RSL over LA last night, mostly because I like the approach Jason Kreis takes (“He’s making an offensive sub so early, what about penalties? Go Jason!”) and as a sentimental vote for ex-Rev Andy Williams, who I always liked and whose personal/family story was so compelling this year. What solidified my support for RSL was this . . . they held the ball, they tried to play on the ground, they wanted to play soccer. LA never seemed quite capable of that, despite Donovan and Beckham’s presence. They appeared to be content to try to win by striking on the quick counter. While possibly effective, it is not my favorite style.

Penalties: Most people start their rant with “what a terrible way to end a game” . . . fine. What’s the realistic alternative? The players were dead-tired and the soccer was beginning to suffer greatly. Penalties are certainly dramatic, require some level of skill and provide a chance to feed the U.S. fixation on goalkeepers (more on that below.) I don’t know a better reasonable solution.

Beckham: Frankly, I am glad his team lost. This is not because I’m anti-Beckham. In fact, I think MLS is better with him in it than without him. However, what I like is that this loss helps the MLS marketing department write the storyline around Beckham’s “unfinished business” to create some drama after his Milan loan draws to a close.   (Too bad he doesn’t have a deep evil voice—quite the opposite, in fact—or he could have stormed off with an Arnold-esque “I’ll be back” snarl.)

Landon: The contrast of the first goal’s pin-point cross from the wing to his missed penalty and absentee performance past the 45-minute mark pretty much sums up the confusion MLS and U.S. fans have about Landon Donovan. It will certainly add fuel to the "Landycakes" fire anyway. Is he a World Class player whose absence from the U.S. National Team makes them bland and boring? Is he a player who only really shows well in less-meaningful games and fades away when it matters most? Like with my view on Becks, part of me was happy that Landon’s team lost. I like the idea of a ticked-off Landon with something to prove taking the field in South Africa for the U.S. What I worry about is the reverse—some odd crisis of confidence that affects his decision-making and his next steps for his club future.

M.V.P.: I like Nick Rimando. Both last night and the Chicago game show that he seems good at stopping penalties. But I must admit it really bothers me when a goalkeeper—any goalkeeper—gets an MVP award. I much prefer a field player gets it and in this game, I’d say Kyle Beckerman was probably worthy. I doubt most “soccer experts” would really argue this anti-goalkeeper stance, but there’s a continual need to pretend a U.S. soccer fan couldn’t notice a good performance that didn’t directly result in one or more goals. 

*Note: Beckerman’s hair may have removed him from eligibility for the MVP award.  Only the other Beck(ham) can be a super-star/sex symbol while having absolutely ridiculous hair. And Beckham clearly wasn’t going to win anything last night . . .

Field Turf: I have mixed emotions on this. The purist in me says a final should never be on turf. Well, actually, the purist in me says a professional game should never be on turf. (I may have turned off the TV if there were football lines, so at least that was addressed.) However, there is a piece of me that also wants to say this.  SHUT UP. “That injury only would happen on turf.” Maybe. “You can see the affect of the turf on that play.” Maybe. Both teams played on the same pitch. Both knew what type of surface they’d be on. Both had some amount of time to practice. Once the game starts, please just LET IT GO. Alternatively, we’d be hearing about the injury that only happened because of the divot in the grass or the pass that didn’t get completed due to the mud puddle. PLAY THE GAME. Let’s rid the game of turf if possible (thanks Toronto!) but let’s deal with it until that day.

So that wraps up MLS 2009. It's time to start watching the Collective Bargaining Agreement hyperbole that we will all be bombarded with and see if we can cut through the malarkey that gets spewed from both sides.

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Citizens of Utah: please rise, stretch, and clap your hands. You are now blessed with a new set of sporting legends that have earned their place among the best in the Beehive State.

I issue this edict, this fatwa of football fanaticism: Real Salt Lake is officially The Real Deal.

Jason Kreis may as well have been Jesus Christ in Seattle on Sunday. His club defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 5-4 on penalties to lift their first Philip Anschutz Trophy, and their first-ever Major League Soccer championship in the young team's history.

"It's nice to say we're the best team in the league. My honest opinion was that we deserved to win that game, so I'm glad that we did," said Kreis on the victory.

"I was walking down the fish market today and I must have seen a hundred Real Salt Lake fans and maybe five Galaxy fans. So I think that was an indication of how well supported we were tonight.

"I have a feeling that it's a really, really big thing for Utah."

Perhaps some supporters from Real Madrid, the club that has forged a partnership with Real Salt Lake and once had current Galaxy midfielder David Beckham on their team, are also smiling too.

Robbie Russell will go down as a hero among the Loyalists. His decisive spot kick gave the eighth seed the win.

"Playing in front of a crowd like that was great," said RUssell after the match. "It was a lot better than I expected."

Los Angeles got on the board first with a goal by Mike Magee in the 40th minute. On the transition, Landon Donovan delivered a cross that was slotted home to give the Galaxy a 1-0 going into halftime.

Real Salt Lake rebounded through another Robbie.

Robbie Findley made the Galaxy's defensive backline pay for missing their marker with the equalizer in the 64th minute.

Real Salt Lake's Javier Moreno was only able to last 22 minutes. He had to be subbed by Clint Mathis after suffering an LCL sprain by way of a David Beckham foul.

"Javier's been a very, very important player for us. In all of our good moments at Real Salt Lake he's been a central figure. He's our play maker for a reason," explained Kreis.

But Morales's injury didn't faze the underdogs from Utah, and Real Salt Lake's tenacity forced the game to go to penalties.

“Me and all the guys knew, if it came down to penalty kicks, we were confident, just going back to last week we handled business in Chicago,” Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. “But I really think we could have won this in regulation. We were that good in the second half.”

Rimando saved attempts by Jovan Kirovski and Edson Buddle in the shootout while witnessing Donovan's penalty sail high and over the crossbar.

Despite the setback, Bruce Arena was pleased by the turnaround the club made this season.

“Our players, our team, our organization had a great year,” Arena said after the game. “Can’t be disappointed. I think we did a great job in turning our team around.”

Los Angeles finished second overall on the regular season table (12-6-12, 48 points), while winning the Western Conference.

With the win, Real Salt Lake became the second eighth seed to win an MLS crown. The first to do so was the Galaxy in 2005.

Not only that, the championship is Utah's first professional title in any sport in four decades.

"We started with a dream and an idea of what it would look like over time," said Kreis. "We saw at certain times this season what we were capable of.

"We saw that we could be one of the best teams and now we are the best team in the league.”

"It's a Cinderella story," Real Salt Lake midfielder Ned Grabavoy said after the match. "“It really is."



Real Salt Lake (3-0-1) vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (2-1-1)
November 22, 2009—Qwest Field

Scoring Summary:
LA: Mike Magee 2 (Landon Donovan 1, David Beckham 1) 41
RSL: Robbie Findley 3 (unassisted) 64

Penalty-kick shootout:
LA: David Beckham (Goal)
RSL: Clint Mathis (Goal)
LA: Gregg Berhalter (Goal)
RSL: Robbie Findley (Goal)
LA: Jovan Kirovski (Saved)
RSL: Kyle Beckerman (Saved)
LA: Landon Donovan (High)
RSL: Ned Grabavoy (Goal)
LA: Mike Magee (Goal)
RSL: Andy Williams (Saved)
LA: Chris Klein (Goal)
RSL: Chris Wingert (Goal)
LA: Edson Buddle (Saved)
RSL: Robbie Russell (Goal)

Real Salt Lake: Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Chris Wingert, Andy Williams, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales (Clint Mathis 22), Will Johnson (Ned Grabavoy 46), Robbie Findley, Yura Movsisyan (Fabian Espindola 75).

Substitutes Not Used: Jean Alexandre, Tony Beltran, Pablo Campos, Chris Seitz


Los Angeles Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts (Josh Saunders 66), Sean Franklin, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez (A.J. DeLaGarza 89), Todd Dunivant, David Beckham, Mike Magee, Chris Birchall (Chris Klein 79), Jovan Kirovski, Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan.

Substitutes Not Used: Alan Gordon, Dema Kovalenko, Eddie Lewis, Yohance Marshall
  
Los Angeles Galaxy    Real Salt Lake
Total Shots:    13    (Landon Donovan 3, Mike Magee 3)     19    (Robbie Findley 5)
Shots On Goal:    3    (3 tied with 1)     4    (Robbie Findley 2)
Fouls:    22    (David Beckham 4, Jovan Kirovski 4)     19    (Fabian Espindola 4)
Offsides:    5    (Edson Buddle 3)     8    (Robbie Findley 6)
Corner Kicks:     7    (David Beckham 7)     4    (Andy Williams 2)
Saves:    3    (Donovan Ricketts 2)     2    (Nick Rimando 2)

Misconduct Summary:
RSL: Will Johnson (caution; Tactical Foul) 14
LA: Chris Birchall (caution; Reckless Tackle) 39

Referee: Kevin Stott
Referee's Assistants: C.J. Morgante; Rob Fereday
Fourth Official: Baldomero Toledo
Time of game: 2:47
Attendance: 46,011
Weather: Cloudy, 45 degrees

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T-120 minutes to kickoff: Ahhh, Seattle, Washington. The home of grunge rock, good health, great coffee, and a solid club that fell short of earning its stripes and home field advantage.

You gotta give credit to the Seattle Sounders Football Club for earning the U.S. Open Cup in their first season promoted from the USL to the MLS as an expansion team. And their supporters, led by the Emerald City Supporters, earn my respect for their unwavering support.

But the MLS Cup Playoffs are a different animal. While it's a battle of conference champions, it's essentially a battle of teams from the same conference winning respective silver chalices that are not the Philip Anschutz Trophy.

The Los Angeles Galaxy are the champions of the Westearn Conference—regular season and playoffs—and Real Salt Lake are the champions of the East...no wait, that's not right. The Chicago Fire are the Eastern Conference Champions...no wait, that's not right either.

All right, I got it. Here it is. Let me allow myself some time to clear my throat. Here it goes:

Real Salt Lake benefitted from the crossover rule. This is why they were placed in the Eastern Conference bracket. RSL finished as the eighth overall seed. They are like Sky Blue FC are to the WPS playoffs: the unexpected underdog.

T-110: I don't believe the G's will make the same mistake, though. They shouldn't. Lightning striking twice is the last thing LA wants. I am still disappointed by Abner Rogers failing to capitalize at the HDC.

T-105: BigSoccer is a community I have frequented for a while. There is this section known as MLS Fan Rivalries. We have a thread called the Playoff Losers' Lounge, where fans of sides that are not alive in the playoffs drown their sorrows away.

Some post rave videos. Others post simple bottles of beer, wine and spirits to share with the visually inebriated. So it is written by the thread starter, Topper. Topper doubles as a moderator, and also works as an HDC employee.

T-100: Qwest Field is a stadium fit for three codes of football: rugby, American, and association. Actually, I will have to check for myself if it has hosted a rugby international test match.

This is a solid field for play, but the turf is a bit fast. This will be a factor.

T-95: It's less than two hours to kickoff of MLS Cup 2009. And the intensity continues to build as the fans go through the turnstiles, tifosi and other favors in hand. Don Garber, our esteemed Commissioner, is here, as well as the usual football luminaries.

T-90: An hour and a half to go before kickoff near the Space Needle. And here are the lineups from MLSNet.com.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY
2009 MLS Western Conference Champions
Manager: Bruce Arena
White tops with blue trim, white shorts and socks
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2 (4-4-2 Diamond)

1 Ricketts

2 Dunivant ---- 16 Berhalter ---- 4 Gonzalez ---- 28 Franklin

33 Birchall

10 Donovan ---- 23 Beckham

9 Kirovski

14 Buddle ---- 18 Magee

Substitutes:
12 Saunders
7 Klein
6 Lewis
8 Kovalenko
21 Gordon
20 De La Garza
5 Marshall


REAL SALT LAKE
2009 Eastern Conference Champions
Manager: Jason Kreis
Burgundy tops with blue sleeves, blue shorts and socks
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2 (4-4-2 Diamond)'

18 Rimando

3 Russell ---- 4 Olave ---- 6 Borchers ---- 17 Wingert

5 Beckerman

77 Williams ---- 8 Johnson

11 Morales

10 Findley ---- 14 Movsisyan

Substitutes:
84 Mathis
20 Grabavoy
2 Beltran
16 Espindola
12 Alexandre
19 Campos

T-85: I am busy munching on some pita chips and spinach dip from Costco. Actually, I prefer Sabra hummus as a companion dip. With this combination, I am taken to the streets of Jerusalem. I know it's Kosher, with the Pareve appellation added. I have yet to find out if it has earned Halal certification, thus making it good for at least three religions.

Aside from that, I like the taste. Makes a good sandwich condiment for the soft variety of bread. Excuse me while I snack on this spinach dip. Santa Barbara Bay is a solid brand of dip, too. But for Stacy's, I recommend Sabra as a partner.

T-80: An hour and twenty to kickoff. I am rubbing my fingers as I type this part of the play-by-play. At this point you should be watching MLS Extra Time on MLSNet.com.

T-60: Kickoff is scheduled for 5:55 p.m. ET/8:55 p.m. ET. A rundown on some stuff from the MLS office.

Jason Kreis has the chance to become the fourth former MLS player to also win an MLS Cup as coach. The first was Frank Yallop (Tampa Bay 1996-98); he won two MLS Cups in charge of the San Jose Earthquakes (2001, 2003). Peter Nowak (Chicago 1998-2002) led D.C. United to victory in MLS Cup 2004, and Dominic Kinnear (Colorado 1996; San Jose 1997; Tampa Bay 1998-2000) guided the Houston Dynamo to back-to-back Cup victories in 2006 and 2007. Kreis scored 108 goals, still fourth-most all-time in MLS history, in a 12-year career with Dallas (1996-2004) and Real Salt Lake (2005-07).

Arena becomes the third coach to guide a team in four MLS Cup Finals, joining Steve Nicol, who guided the New England Revolution in four championship games (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007), and Sigi Schmid, who brought the LA Galaxy to the MLS Cup Final in 1999, 2001 and 2002, winning on the final occasion, as well as guiding last year’s triumph by the Columbus Crew. Kreis will be the 15th different coach to manage a team in the MLS Cup Final.

T-59: Just four players currently on the Galaxy roster were with the team when it won the MLS Cup the last time. In that 1-0 victory in extra time against the New England Revolution, Landon Donovan and Todd Dunivant each played the entire 120 minutes, while Alan Gordon came on as a substitute in the 119th minute. In addition, current Galaxy assistant coach Cobi Jones started and played 109 minutes. Josh Saunders was an unused substitute goalkeeper. Ironically, current RSL midfielder Ned Grabavoy was also a starter in midfield for the Galaxy in that game—coming off in the 66th minute for Guillermo Ramirez, the ultimate hero after scoring the game’s lone goal midway through the extra-time periods.

Nine players with the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup. Landon Donovan has won three; two with the San Jose Earthquakes (2001 and 2003) in addition to the 2005 win with, LA. Todd Dunivant also won in 2003 (an unused substitute), while Josh Saunders was also an unused substitute in that ’03 Earthquakes victory. Tony Sanneh also won back-to-back MLS Cups with D.C. United in 1996 and 1997. Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United, 2004), Dema Kovalenko (2004), Chris Klein (Kansas City, 2000) and Stefani Miglioranzi (Columbus, 2008) complete the Galaxy Cup-winners. Sanneh (1998), Kovalenko (2000) and Klein (2004)—along with Mike Magee (2008, New York) have all reached an MLS Cup Final and lost.

Four Real Salt Lake players have played in previous MLS Cup Finals, and two came away winners. Ned Grabavoy was a starter for the LA Galaxy in their last win (2005 vs. New England), and Nick Rimando was the starting goalkeeper for D.C. United in their MLS Cup victory against Kansas City in 2004. Andy Williams was a starter for the Chicago Fire in their 4-2 loss to San Jose in MLS Cup 2003, and Clint Mathis made his lone appearance in an MLS championship game a decade ago, playing 90 minutes for the Los Angeles Galaxy in a 2-0 loss to D.C. United in MLS Cup ’99.

Current Galaxy players have made their marks on MLS Cup Finals. Landon Donovan has scored three goals in his three final appearances, most all-time. Donovan is one of two players to have scored two goals in an MLS Cup Final, hitting twice in San Jose’s 4-2 win against Chicago in MLS Cup 2003.

The other one is Galaxy teammate Alecko Eskandarian, who scored twice for D.C. United the following year, in a 3-2 win against the Kansas City Wizards. That year, Dema Kovalenko became the first player sent off in an MLS Cup Final when he handled a ball on the goal line. Tony Sanneh scored goals in each of the first two MLS Cups, one of only two players in MLS Cup Final history to score in back-to-back finals (along with New England’s Taylor Twellman).

Donovan has won three MLS Cups, one of 10 players with as many as three MLS Cup rings. Donovan was also named the MLS Cup MVP in 2003, joining Alecko Eskandarian as winner of the honor, when he won the next year.

T-57: The Los Angeles Galaxy finished with 33 points in 2008, tied for last place in the Western Conference, then ended up atop the West in 2009 with 48 points, one of four teams that have gone worst to first in MLS history, finishing at the bottom of a conference one year then winning it the next. The New England Revolution were the last to do it, in 2005—also reaching the MLS Cup Final (where they lost to the LA Galaxy). The Kansas City Wizards did it in 2000—also playing (and winning) MLS Cup, while the MetroStars performed the feat as well.

The Galaxy’s defensive turnaround—from 62 goals conceded in 2008 to 31 allowed in 2009—was the biggest in league history. The Kansas City Wizards allowed 53 goals in 1999, then allowed just 29 goals in 2000.

So far in the MLS Cup Playoffs, 13 different players have started for the LA Galaxy. Midfielder Chris Birchall started the first game vs. Chivas USA but was then struck down by illness; Chris Klein started in his place in the second leg of the conference semifinals and the conference championship. After starting both games against Chivas USA, Todd Dunivant was also ill for the conference final, and replaced by rookie A.J. DeLaGarza.

Real Salt Lake also used 13 different starters in their three postseason matches. Tony Beltran started at fullback in the first semifinal series match vs. the Columbus Crew; the spot has been filled by Robbie Russell for the last two games. After coming off the bench for Fabian Espindola for the first two games, Yura Movsisyan started in his place in the conference final vs. Chicago, with Espindola coming on in his place.

The Galaxy have not conceded a goal in 250 minutes of playoff action, since Maykel Galindo’s goal for Chivas USA in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series. It’s the 11th longest in MLS history and the fifth-longest in Galaxy club history; they will move on to 10th all-time with six scoreless minutes, surpassing the Galaxy’s scoreless run in 1999. The all-time record is 374 minutes by the New England Revolution in 2002.

Landon Donovan, the winner of the 2009 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player award, is the sixth league MVP to play in the MLS Cup Final in that same season, and the second in a row. Guillermo Barros Schelotto of Columbus lifted the Cup last year, as did Tony Meola (Kansas City) in 2000 and Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles) in 2002. Two MVPs have lost in MLS Cup: Marco Etcheverry (D.C. United) in 1998 and Taylor Twellman (New England) in 2005.


T-55: Donovan has the chance to join a very select group with a fourth MLS Cup victory. Jeff Agoos, who won five championships (DC: 1996, 1997, 1999; SJ: 2001, 2003) leads the way; Donovan would join Jaime Moreno (DC: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004) and Dwayne De Rosario (SJ 2001, 2003; HOU 2006, 2007) as the only other fourtime winners. Donovan is currently among a group of seven 3-time winners (Marco Etcheverry, Pat Onstad, Eddie Robinson, Richard Mulrooney, Wade Barrett, Craig Waibel).

During the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs, Landon Donovan converted both penalty kicks he took, the first two he has taken in the postseason in his career. For his regular season career in MLS, Donovan has converted 19 of the 21 penalties he has taken—a 90.5 percent success rate, the best in league history and well above the all-time average of 75.7 percent. The only two goalkeepers to stop Donovan from the spot in MLS? Current RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who did it in 2007, and RSL goalkeeper coach Jeff Cassar, who did it with FC Dallas in 2004.

David Beckham has faced Real Salt Lake just once in his MLS career—and it was a game to remember. He scored two world-class goals May 3, 2008 to bring the Galaxy back for a 2-2 draw, the only time in his 44 league and cup appearances for the Galaxy he’s scored two goals. Beckham did not play in either Galaxy-Real game in the 2009 regular season.

Each team had a number of players represent their countries during the 2009 season. Landon Donovan was a regular for the USA in World Cup qualifying, and also played in the FIFA Confederations Cup. David Beckham added to his historic England caps total, while Chris Birchall represented Trinidad & Tobago and Donovan Ricketts played for Jamaica during the year. Kyle Beckerman was a part of the U.S. squad in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Will Johnson played for Canada and Jean Alexandre played for Haiti in the continental championship. Andy Williams also represented his homeland of Jamaica.

T-50: One of the fans from the New England Revolution just interviewed Drew Carey, owner of the Seattle Sounders. He put it quite nicely: "Managing a club is just like how you would manage a team in a video game-but with millions of dollars."

Cash flows, revenue and expenses and all that fun jargon that I am re-learning and re-tooling at DeVry University. A class act, that's Mr. Drew Carey, ladies and gentlemen here on Bleacher Report—I told You Sol and the WPS Fan Corner.

T-45: Some highlights of the season, followed by more analysis from the ET crew.

T-38: Kevin Stott, of Chino, Calif., will be the MLS Cup referee for a third time, also presiding over the 2001 and 2005 finals. Stott ran the middle in 20 games during the MLS regular season, whistling an average of 23.5 fouls per game, slightly higher than the league average of 22.9. He issued an average of 3.8 cautions per game, also just slightly above the league average of 3.74. He sent off four players while awarding two penalty kicks. Stott was also the referee in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series between Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Stott has been a FIFA referee since 1995 and has officiated in MLS since the inaugural season.

The assistant referees are C.J. Morgante of Grove City, Pa., who will be running the line in his first MLS Cup Final, and Robert Fereday of Laurel, Md., in his second (also 2007). The fourth official is Baldomero Toledo of Norwalk, Calif., who was the referee in MLS Cup 2008.

T-25: ESPN's broadcast begins.

T-5: I like the ladies showing the Anchutz for the first time to the pitch. Let's make that an MLS tradition, too.

FIRST HALF START: 5:55 p.m. PT

1'- MLS Cup 2009 is underway. The LA Riot Squad, Galaxians, ACB and others who made the trip up have their flags and confetti ready.

2' - First foul of the game, on Kyle Beckerman of RSL. The East champions have been earning the lion's share of possession, though.

3' - The Galaxy clamp defensively. Here they go. Real Salt Lake is there to swarm on the ball.

4' - Quick pace from the beginning.

5' - Ricketts is getting a few goal kicks early. Beckham wasn't going to get to that one.

6' - RSL's backfield is content passing the ball. The fans want some action towards the front. Here they go. A solid clearance from Greg Berhalter.

8' - Bruce Arena looks on with intention and focus. A cool, calm, collected mind of the game, he wants to give the G's their third MLS championship in their history.

Buddle should have done better with that header, and Arena did not like that one bit.

9' - Berhalter's walking the tightrope.

10' - Set piece for Real Salt Lake. Wasted shot by Morales. A great view of the Anschutz.

11' - When you have a game on a synthetic pitch like this, the ball moves quicker, and the game flows a bit more faster, pending referee intervention.

Corner for LA. Beckham to take.

12' - Cleared away. Take two and short. Magee impeded on the cross, and it's a goal kick.

13' - RSL on the setup. Yellow card to Will Johnson. Conspiracy theory: are the officials playing on minimum wage? It seems they get a boost with every fine the coaches get for criticizing them.

14' - Set piece for RSL. And Yura Movsisyan is shaken up but is back on his feet.

15' - Morales is favoring his knees.

16' - He is hurt. Jason Kreis may need to make one of his subs early.may have to sub him out. This is an interesting turn of events.

Not a fan of Beckham's hair, either. For the time being, RSL is playing with ten men.

19' - Doesn't look like LA is taking advantage of this quite nicely. Morales returns to the pitch after a stretch.

20' - Both teams need to adjust how they pass the ball to cope with the makeup of the pitch.

21' - Substitution Real Salt Lake
IN 84 Clint Mathis
OUT 11 Javier Morales

What a shame. He hates to be limping, and he is shaken. Poor guy can't go on. Don't commit suicide on us if the Galaxy win this one.

23' - Now this is starting to get annoying. Get over it already, Javier! Santa Maria...

24' - You could call that offsides with braille, Kevin Stott. Good save by Nick Rimando, and a brave attempt by Donovan Ricketts, who slides on the FieldTurf to make a save. Literally.

25' - Good interception by Nat Borchers. Here comes RSL.

26' - Beckerman tried to find Findley but it wasn't gonna work.

27' - Here's a corner for Los Angeles. Number three. That was a wasted chance by Buddle. Terrible timing.

28' - Set piece for LA, but too much mustard on the hot dog for Landon Donovan.

30' - It seems like everyone is trying to play catchup to this ball. Here comes Real, but a foul on Mike Magee nullifies the transition.

31' - A free-flowing game so far—still scoreless. That was a wide shot by Andy Williams.

33' - The Galaxy are trying to get the deliverables to their  forwards, but the midfielders and defense of RSL anticipate their moves.

35' - That was a wide shot by Magee. He'll have that one back.

38' - Arena and Kreis watch on, but Kreis seems to be the more nervous of the two managers. This is some good marking by Real Salt Lake. Now Mathis is injured.

39' - "Come on!" says Arena with frustration in his tone. His patience begins to exhaust. Yellow card to Chris Birchall.

40' - How many more times will Edson choke when he has the chance? Offsides.

40' - GOAL!!!! Los Angeles Galaxy — 18 Mike Magee — Assist 10 Landon Donovan
LA 1 RSL 0
Not this time, though. Magee atones for his misfortunes with the first goal of this game.

41' - The fans in blue and gold are loving it, but the RSL supporters know there is a long ways yet to in this game.

43' - Throw-in for Real Salt Lake. That was a solid delivery from Donovan. And Magee made no mistake in the finishing.

45' - Beckerman is slow to get up, but does. Set piece for Real Salt Lake. Great save by Donovan  Ricketts. Two minutes of stoppage time for this half. Four chances to one in favor of Los Angeles, says Galavision, the Spanish-language provider. *

45' + 2' - Yura Movsisyan will want that back. Real will want this half back too.

HALFTIME

Los Angeles Galaxy 1
Mike Magee 40'

Real Salt Lake 0


Kevin Stott, for all he is worth, would be wise not to get into an argument with the Galaxy players.

Personally, that injury to Javier Morales was a big blow to this team with the tackle by David Beckham. I hope that wasn't what Stottsy was reminding Becks about: no hard tackles.

ESPN360.com is talking about Liverpool vs. Birmingham City. I'm like: Adios, Rafa Benitez, back to the carousel you go.

Going back to the match, Los Angeles needs to add to this lead. They cannot let Real back into it. Build on the lead, and dispossess, dispossess, dispossess.

SECOND HALF START: 7:00 P.M. PT

46' - The second half of the last game of the 2009 Major League Soccer season is underway.

Substitution Real Salt Lake
IN 20 Ned Grabavoy
OUT 8 Will Johnson

The fish toss—a Seattle institution since way back when. Nice catch of the day, Mr. J.P. Dellacamera.

47' - Real Salt Lake has rallied from behind before. Let's see if they can do it here.

48' - That was a great save by Ricketts, who unfortunately collided with Findley. Three-way collision. This has to be a big blow for the G's. Dust off the backup keeper Josh Saunders, but what was Omar Gonzales thinking?

The rookie of the year might end up becoming the goat if Real Salt Lake can capitalize on Ricketts getting winded out there.

51' - Thankfully he is up and back at it. That was a scary situation. Gonzales will have to be careful next time.

52' - Beckham is smiling. It's all a theater for him, the number 23 for the Galaxy. Meanwhile, Sean Franklin with the mohawk is starting to wonder.

54' - Here comes Real Salt Lake on the attack. Fredy Montero of the Sounders is interviewed by Galavision.

55' - The delivery by Beckham is snuffed out. After this match, he'll take a one-month break before returning to AC Milan on home to boost their Serie A title hopes.

56' - Williams should have done better. 1-0 Galaxy, and I believe Stottsy will award ample stoppage time after 90 minutes pass.

57' - Here's a set piece for LA. The RSL wall deflects the Beckham shot. A bit low for his liking.

59' - Good clearance by Ricketts again. This LA Galaxy defense continues to impress. No penalty awarded, either.

60' - The Real player were clamoring for it, but it's not gonna work.

61' - A.C. Milan, by the way, are third in the Serie A table, seven points off Inter Milan as of this post.

62' - Still plenty of time for Real Salt Lake to equalize. Ricketts is still walking off that injury. The Big Cat from Jamaica is tough as nails, and I believe he will able to finish this game.

63' - And there's the equalizer.
GOAL!!! Real Salt Lake — 16 Robbie Findley
LA 1 RSL 1

We've got ourselves a contest. The Galaxy is going to be on their heels. Findley made the Galaxy back line pay for failing to mark him, and slotted it home.

65' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 12 Josh Saunders
OUT 20 Donovan Ricketts

Well so much for Ricketts finishing the rest of this game. He is clutching his abdomen right now.

66' - Corner now for the G's. Wasted. Well, the Salt Lake fans knew that there was a long ways yet to go, and their patience has been rewarded.

69' - Here comes RSL again. Good defending from Berhalter. Sportsmanlike gesture from Movsisyan. Here's the throw-in. And the first save from Saunders.

70' - You know, when I think of Saunders I think of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's Joe Saunders. And that was a blown shot by Movsisyan. He'll want a lot of these chances back after this game is over.

71' - It looks like some Sounders fans stopped by to watch the game anyway. You can only wonder what could have been.

72' - After regulation and stoppage time, if it stays 1-1 you know what's gonna happen next: two 15-minute periods, and then penalties if it still isn't decided then.

73' - I think the fans will want to see this go the distance.

74' - Substitution Real Salt Lake
IN 16 Fabian Espindola
OUT 14 Yura Movsisyan

Espindola is an established player, who also spent time playing with Boca Juniors in his youth. He's a young player, and he will be looked up to in future for Real.

76' - Corner for the Galaxy. Beckham needs to find someone on the delivery, and he couldn't. Goal kick for Nick Rimando.

I like Rimando's ability as a keeper. I hope he considers playing for the Azkals because he has Filipino blood in him.

78' - Subsititution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 7 Chris Klein
OUT 33 Chris Birchall

79' - We head into the crunch-time part of regulation in the 2009 MLS Cup. The tension builds with Real Salt Lake's next set piece. Mathis will take this.

Tim Leiweke and Victoria Beckham look on in the press box. Foul on RSL. Beckerman fouls Beckham. Here's another set piece.

81' - Once again, Edson Buddle botches the finish. It seems a broken record. That chance by Espindola went into the safe hands of Saunders.

82' - Good save by Rimando. The Galaxy do not want this to go to extra periods, or, heaven forbid, the lottery.

83' - Hello, hello, hello—another corner. The G's reset. This is some great defending from RSL. Goal kick. And the fans in the stands making plans to shield themselves from the cold.

85' - Good clearance from Saunders. He was ready for this game, apparently. RSL again on the counterattack, and LA intercepts but is called offside.

86' - High shot from RSL, goal kick for the Galaxy. Poor Edson Buddle, you have to feel for him. But more so, Gonzalez is asking to be subbed. He'll get his wish.

88' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
In 20 A.J. De La Garza
OUT 4 Omar Gonzalez

89' - Here comes a big corner for Real Salt Lake. Seven minutes of stoppage time, as expected. Saunders gets that one.

90' - We knew we were going to have plenty of additional time for injuries, and here we go.

90' + 1' - Espindola was off on that cross. Not sure where he was feeding this to. The Real Salt Lake supporters, led by the Loyalists, are fired up. As for the Galaxy supporters...they are nervous.

90' + 2' - Set piece time for Real Salt Lake. Mathis's long shot caught by Saunders. He is filling his role nicely.

90' + 3' - All three teams have used up their subs. Chris Wingert with the throw-in. Now A.J. De La Garza is trying to find someone open with a white strip.

90' + 4' - De La Garza needed to get that away from Espindola. Beckerman to take this corner.

90' + 5' - Chris Saunders is doing his job. He may have to work another thirty minutes and penalties.

90' + 7' - We enter the final minute of regulation stoppage time. Here comes RSL again...but the Galaxy is not going to let them steal this one.

Two 15-minute periods on the way. Stottsy is bumbling and stumbling, too. This is fun.

END OF REGULATION
Los Angeles Galaxy 1
40' Mike Magee

Real Salt Lake 1
63' Robbie Findley

FIRST EXTRA TIME PERIOD START 7:58 P.M. PT

91' - It's time for extra time. Both 15-minute periods will need to be played whether one team is ahead or not. Beckham is getting some salbutemol in the dugout. It's THAT cold.

92' - It's ironic, because I drank some coffee today, and Seattle is known for their java. Beckham with a professional challenge on Ned Grabavoy.

93' - That was dangerous in the box for Los Angeles. Findley was very close to getting his second of the night-and the potential game-winner. But A.J. De La Garza's not gonna let that happen easily.

94' - Another corner for Los Angeles and still no help. Seven corner for LA, two for RSL, zero goals between them.

96' - You have to applaud Josh Saunders' role playing backup. But knowing how Real Salt Lake is able to convert on those penalties, the Galaxy need to score while they can in extra time.

97' - Wide shot by Findley. There's gonna be a lot of Angelenos wanting to burn an effigy of him if he becomes the hero tonight.

98' - Real Salt Lake is getting the majority of shots tonight. It really makes you wonder.

99' - This some great tactics from the midfield.

100' - Foul on Beckham, and a chance for RSL beckons. I would think that he is used to this when he was with Manchester United. Side netting for Mathis.

102' - Seeds in this case do not matter at all. Real Salt Lake may be seeded 8th, but they aren't playing like it. Wasted corner, but here's a throw-in. Not gonna work.

103' - You have to be wondering about the finishing by both sides. Rimando hasn't had to do much work, but Salt Lake's not getting it done, either.

105' - And that's the end of the first period.

END FIRST EXTRA TIME PERIOD
Los Angeles Galaxy 1
40' Mike Magee

Real Salt Lake 1
63' Robbie Findley

START SECOND EXTRA TIME PERIOD 8:15 P.M. PT

106' - The last fifteen minutes of extra time begin. ESPN360's having some technical difficulties. Thank God for Justin.tv. All right, they are back on.

Back on, Beckham...this play-by-play is beckoning to be a wordplay on itself.

107' - Good clearance by Los Angeles. They have been on the defensive for the major part of extra time. Yikes.

108' - Offsides Real Salt Lake. And everyone is raising their scarves. This is what it's all about: 48,011 coming down to the XBox Pitch at Qwest Field for this final.

109' - Terrible throw-in on the run, but the Galaxy back line reel it in. Here they come. The nets fall off their foundations in Rimando's end. Alan Gordon impeded.

110' - Well, more extra time after extra time just to adjust the netting? Won't be surprised. Hey, I just created a tongue twister. Finally, the netting is linked back into position, to the applause of the host Sounder faithful.

111' - My guess is that this could go to the lottery. I would think (and this is from an outsider's view, no offense intended) that practitioners of the Latter-Day Saints denomination to not gamble. They would be wise to allow an exception, should the circumstances require it.

112' - That's a foul on Espindola, but no card from Stott. He's only issued two cards this game, a yellow to both sides. So for the most part, he's done the right thing in allowing the match to play out.

114' - Berhalter with another mark. I'll commend Stott for letting this game play out without excessive intervention.

115' - Set piece for LA again. Let's see what they do here. The verdict: a two-fisted punchout by Rimando.

116' - Here's RSL again. This is some nice action on the Galaxy's half. Corner for Real.

117' - Rimando saw the shot coming from Donovan. Now he's doing his share of work.

118' - Wonder what that cheeky move was from Ned Grabavoy.

119' - A crunch-time set piece from Mathis on the way. And another solid save from Chris Saunders.

120' - How many stoppage time minutes do we have here? That was cute kick from Espindola. One minute, the fourth official says.

120' + 1' - Another great save from Saunders. Ladies and gentlemen, the fans got their money's worth at Qwest—so the verdict goes.

END EXTRA TIME

Los Angeles Galaxy 1
40' Mike Magee

Real Salt Lake 1
63' Robbie Findley


PENALTIES START 8:35 PM P.T.

Based on what I know from the shootout with Chicago, I have a gut feeling Real Salt Lake's going to shock the MLS world just like Sky Blue FC pulled off the upset over the LA Sol.

Of course that did not go to extra time, let alone penalties, but it was an upset. And I do not know if Saunders will be ready for this.

Here's the rundown.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

Made:
David Beckham
Greg Berhalter
Mike Magee
Chris Klein

Missed:
Jovan Kirovski
Landon Donovan
Edson Buddle

REAL SALT LAKE

Made:
Clint Mathis
Robbie Findley
Ned Grabavoy
Chris Wingert
Robbie Russell

Missed:
Kyle Beckerman
Andy Williams

Real Salt Lake wins on penalty kicks, 5-4

That, everyone, wraps up this play-by-play. How about that? Los Angeles chokes yet again in football. Congratulations, Real Salt Lake. It's party time at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The gut feeling did not lie. This match can just go to the bowels of hell from whence it came if you are a G's fan.


Stay tuned for a recap on ITYS, WPS Fan Corner and Bleacher Report.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

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It's not official yet, but according to MLS Rumors and Its Called Football , Major League Soccer is set to announce that they will expanding again in 2012.

The new franchise, called the Montreal Impact, will add another USL team and provide a natural rivalry with Toronto FC .

While I believe that the Montreal franchise can be as successful as Toronto and Seattle , I have to wonder whether MLS is expanding too rapidly.

Consider that this year they added Seattle, next season it is Philadelphia . Then in 2011 Portland and Vancouver are joining, and now Montreal in 2012.

That is five new teams in four years. An extra 100 players playing in Major League Soccer.

With this sort of rapid expansion, will the quality of the league suffer?

The MLS plans reminds me of the rapid expansion of the National Hockey League in the 1990’s. The NHL added all these sunbelt franchises, but in the rush to expand the reach of hockey and become a major sport in the U.S. , the quality of play dropped as the new players added would not have been good enough for the NHL prior to expansion.

My worry is that MLS is heading down the same path. What do you think?

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In the final match of what has been a roller coaster season for Los Angeles, the Galaxy will head to Qwest Field in Seattle to face Real Salt Lake in what will be David Beckham's first MLS final since joining the league in 2007.

Beckham began the season by going on loan to AC Milan, but ultimately returned to MLS after his requests to remain in Europe were denied by Galaxy management.

Shorty after his return to Los Angeles, Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl released The Beckham Experiment , a book that detailed, among other things, Landon Donovan's perception of Beckham as a bad teammate.

During his first game back in the States—a friendly against AC Milan—fans at the Home Depot Center continuously heckled Beckham, leading to an altercation between Beckham and a fan that included Beckham telling the fan to come down onto the field.  Fortunately, police escorted the fan away before things escalated further.

Since the publication of the controversial book back in July, Donovan and Beckham have been able to repair their relationship, and the Galaxy have become the best team in the Western Conference.  The finished their season in first place in the Western Conference, defeated Chivas USA and Houston in the playoffs, and now head to their first MLS Cup final since 2005.

As for Real Salt Lake, their season got off to a bad start after posting a great year in 2008 when they reached the Western Conference Finals.  Even though Salt Lake wasn't able to win that match—losing 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls at Rio Tinto Stadium—they had high hopes for this season.

After a rocky start, Salt Lake was able to get key wins down the stretch and eventually qualify for the fourth—and final—seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.  Even though Salt Lake is in the Western Conference, the MLS playoff system requires that the four best teams outside of the top two seeds in each division earn a playoff spot regardless of where they play.  This explains why Real Salt Lake are playing their Western Conference rivals in the MLS Cup final.

To start the playoffs, Salt Lake got paired up with the defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew.  Salt Lake was able to win both the home and away games by an combined score of 4-2, and advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

In that final—a matchup against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park—the two teams went scoreless for the entire 120 minutes and were forced to decide the match on penalty kicks.  Salt Lake prevailed 5-4 to advance to their first-ever MLS Cup final.

During the regular season, the teams met twice, with the first matchup—at Rio Tinto Stadium—ending in a 2-2 draw after both sides combined for three goals during stoppage time.  The second contest, which was played in Los Angeles, ended with a Real Salt Lake victory that halted the Galaxy's ten-game unbeaten streak.  The 2-0 victory was the result of goals by Yura Movsisyan and Nat Brochers.

The expected weather in Seattle for the MLS Cup final will be 42ºF with a 30 percent chance of rain.  The game kicks off at 5 PM PST (8 PM EST).

This will mark the first MLS final played at Qwest Field—a notoriously loud stadium for the Seattle Sounders—and the eighth different venue to host the event.

Much attention will be focused on Beckham's health, with reports that he is suffering from a bone bruise in his right ankle.  However, there is little doubt that he—or any of the other major players—will be miss the biggest MLS game of the season.

This match will come down to one question:  Can the Galaxy, behind stars David Beckham and Landon Donovan, win their first MLS Cup since 2005 over a Real Salt Lake squad led by a group of relative unknowns looking for their first-ever MLS championship?

No matter what, the answer will be exciting.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

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In the final match of what has been a roller coaster season for Los Angeles, the Galaxy will head to Qwest Field in Seattle to face Real Salt Lake in what will be David Beckham's first MLS final since joining the league in 2007.

Beckham began the season by going on loan to AC Milan, but ultimately returned to MLS after his requests to remain in Europe were denied by Galaxy management.

Shortly after his return to Los Angeles, Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl released The Beckham Experiment, a book that detailed, among other things, Donovan's perception of Beckham as a bad teammate.

During his first game back in the States—a friendly against AC Milan—fans at the Home Depot Center continuously heckled Beckham, leading to an altercation between Beckham and a fan that included Beckham telling the fan to come down onto the field. Fortunately, police escorted the fan away before things escalated further.

Since the publication of the controversial book back in July, Donovan and Beckham have been able to repair their relationship, and the Galaxy have become the best team in the Western Conference. They finished their season in first place in the Western Conference, defeated Chivas USA and Houston in the playoffs, and now head to their first MLS Cup final since 2005.

As for Real Salt Lake, their season got off to a bad start after posting a great year in 2008 when they reached the Western Conference Finals. Even though Salt Lake wasn't able to win that match—losing 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls at Rio Tinto Stadium—they had high hopes for this season.

After a rocky start, Salt Lake was able to get key wins down the stretch and eventually qualify for the fourth—and final—seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Even though Salt Lake is in the Western Conference, the MLS playoff system requires that the four best teams outside of the top two seeds in each division earn a playoff spot regardless of where they play. This explains why Real Salt Lake are playing their Western Conference rivals in the MLS Cup final.

To start the playoffs, Salt Lake was paired up with the defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew. Salt Lake was able to win both the home and away games by a combined score of 4-2, and advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

In that final—a matchup against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park—the two teams went scoreless for the entire 120 minutes and were forced to decide the match on penalty kicks. Salt Lake prevailed 5-4 to advance to their first-ever MLS Cup final.

During the regular season, the teams met twice, with the first matchup—at Rio Tinto Stadium—ending in a 2-2 draw after both sides combined for three goals during stoppage time. The second contest, which was played in Los Angeles, ended with a Real Salt Lake victory that halted the Galaxy's 10-game unbeaten streak. The 2-0 victory was the result of goals by Yura Movsisyan and Nat Brochers.

The expected weather in Seattle for the MLS Cup final will be 42ºF with a 30 percent chance of rain. The game kicks off at 5 PM PST (8 PM EST).

This will mark the first MLS final played at Qwest Field—a notoriously loud stadium for the Seattle Sounders—and the eighth different venue to host the event.

Much attention will be focused on Beckham's health, with reports that he is suffering from a bone bruise in his right ankle. However, there is little doubt that he—or any of the other major players—will miss the biggest MLS game of the season.

This match will come down to one question: Can the Galaxy, behind stars David Beckham and Landon Donovan, win their first MLS Cup since 2005 over a Real Salt Lake squad led by a group of relative unknowns looking for their first-ever MLS championship?

No matter what, the answer will be exciting.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

It's funny how things can go from one extreme to the other.

It's funny how a little elbow grease, work and determination will get you to where you need to go. 

Funny the way things work out sometimes, isn't it?

This Sunday on Seattle's Qwest Field, a team comprised of once-dubbed "nobody's" or "has-beens" will be on the hook for an MLS Cup title. 

No, it's not the Los Angeles Galaxy.

In 2007, Jason Kreis was a beleaguered fading star on a second-rate squad. The team had boatloads of talent, but it often saw nothing but circles in the win column. 

With a surplus of high draft picks, a scoring machine that had a penchant to get lost in his own reflection and aging wonders, Real Salt Lake was headed toward oblivion. 

Quite literally. 

The team's contract with the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium was up, and it needed a new place to hang its hat. 

Many folks opposed building a stadium for RSL. You know, the usual political mumbo jumbo. Taxes, fees—location, location, location.

In the middle of all this was Kreis. 

At age 34, the youngest active MLS coach at the time, the former MLS all-time scoring leader had work to do. 

This wasn't his team. This wasn't a team. It was a mess—a jumbled blob-of-an-excuse for those who opposed RSL and soccer in the state of Utah as a whole, to take the said higher road. 

Soccer had run its course in Salt Lake. 

Plastered over headlines of local newspapers were headlines that read: "RSL. Real St. Louis?"

Rumors of the team being relocated on account of no place to play grew louder and louder, and all this time Kreis was busy in his laboratory assembling his would-be monster.

Things had to be done. 

First off, Kreis shipped the mercurial and oft-dramatic Jeff Cunningham out of town. The two never really saw eye-to-eye, and Kreis saw the first step to his far-away masterpiece on schedule.

Then went the team's former No. 2 overall draft pick Mehdi Ballouchy. 

Then went Chris Klein.

Then the stabilizing Eddie Pope hung up the cleats. 

Yeah, the team even had "phenom" Freddy Adu in uniform for one season. The youngster fled for success overseas that hasn't exactly been channeled quite yet.

In the meanwhile, Kreis was organizing the pieces on his board. He acquired a bulldog and face of the franchise in midfielder Kyle Beckerman. 

There was a trip to Argentina to scout talent and there he found midfield mainstay Javier Morales and a left-footed attacking Fabian Espindola, who plays an amazing pest to opposing defenses.  

He received allocations and future draft picks to stock up on. By trading a good friend in Klein, Kreis got his hands on arguably the fastest forward in the MLS.

Yura Movsisyan came in for virtually nothing. 

In came Nick Rimando, a 5-foot-10, 27-year-old keeper who was cut loose by D.C. United after five season and some championships in hand. 

In these moves, Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerway were building an ark of talent and most obviously, an ark of know-how and togetherness.

When Sunday rolls around, RSL will be lining up against the belle of the ball. 

The most-recognized signing in the history of the league, David Beckham will be gunning for his first piece of MLS hardware. The best U.S. soccer player of all time, Landon Donovan will be hungry for his first in five seasons. 

The Galaxy are where they are because of the talent they have and the impressive patch-job Bruce Arena did coming in. 

He got his Eddie Lewis' and his Greg Berhalter's—he got his guys that he knew he could count on to help get his team to where they are now.

Kreis seemed like a craps guy. 

He was rolling the dice, unsure of what would come, but steadfast in knowing that if he would be able to assemble the correct and just characters, that the ship would be righted. 

It has been. 

RSL has a chance to be the first team in the recent history of professional sports in America to have owned a championship despite finishing the season with a losing record. 

They finished the 2009 campaign with a record of 11 wins, 12 losses and seven ties. 

Yeah, the banality is there. 

Squeaking into the playoffs is one thing, RSL did it on the last day of the regular season and needed help from about three different teams. 

Destiny smiled, winked and gave them a right of passage—they didn't disappoint.

Besting the league's best team in a home-and-away round and then snapping the hearts of Chicago Fire fans, much thanks to Nick Rimando's Superman heroics. 

Unlike a year before, when RSL stumbled into the 2008 playoffs and were about five shots off the post to advancing to the MLS Cup. 

2008 wasn't it. I think someone wants to give Cinderella an encore dance here in 2009.

And go figure, a team that won all of two road games all season long go back-to-back heading to the Midwest and beating the two best teams in the Eastern Conference on their turf. 

Is RSL a perfect team? Far from it. They still have a penchant for playing so conservatively that they often bury themselves due to lack of creativity and anyone familiar with the team knows that any lead from the 80th minute heeds no cause for complacency. 

This team has a flaws. Its coach has flaws. This team has no superstar, no media mogul. 

It's one shining star at the moment. Given its chance to enter the atmosphere and surprise so many, it's taken that opportunity and ran with it. 

Contributions from Clint Mathis and Will Johnson, a couple guys that were given the quintessential thumbs down for so many years. 

A back-line of comprised of another minor Kreis deal made major with the acquisition of Chris Wingert, to coincide with Nat Borchers coming back to the states from Norway and a freight-train named Jamison Olave. 

The magical concoction that is this RSL squad can just continued to be rattled off and you'll find contributors left and right.

None will be more important and firm than Andy Williams. The Jamaican international has been with RSL since the 2005 inception, and has endured more than losing seasons along the Wasatch Front. 

Marcia Williams, Andy's wife has been in a tough bout with cancer, and anytime you see No. 77 on the pitch, you hear a roar from the RSL faithful.

Side-stories are few and far between here in 2009 for this franchise, and standing in its way of the team's first MLS Cup Sunday is the team that has the star power.

Folks will pick against RSL as they have all season long, and it's helped the cause along the way.

Kreis is a life-long underachiever overachieving. He relishes the role. As does his team. 

They've been written off since year one, day one. 

It's about time that the "nobody's" got a shot at proving doubters wrong. 

When asked about RSL, one hardline fan replied, "Our team is one big star."

Spot on assessment, and be assured Kreis and his guys won't take it for granted. Not after that revolutionary overhaul.

Now we'll sit back and see if this slew of no-namers can pull the ultimate coup d'état. 

Mission impossible is now 90 minutes away from being flipped on its back. 

Backs to the wall, Kreis and Co. wouldn't have it any other way.

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