There is absolutely no doubt that Real Salt Lake (RSL) deserved this tournament. They went up against the Los Angeles Galaxy for the MSL Cup on Sunday. RSL’s victory was entirely astonishing particularly against the Galaxy.

RSL wasn’t even likely to make it into the playoffs. They weren’t even expected to defeat Columbus or Chicago in the first two rounds of the playoffs but they were able to work as a group and build upon each other’s strengths in order to secure the title.

“It’s a Cinderella story, it really is” said RSL midfielder Ned Grabavoy. This success was the end result of two years of hard work and gradual team building. Jason Kreis took charge in May 2007 of the team and when Garth Lagewey joined four months later on they were able to develop a stronger team by reviewing and working on altering the constant mistakes the team was making.

By making these adjustments they were able to create a better club and were able to get not only superior players but a binding team spirit. Then when the team got captain Kyle Beckerman it was the best trade they could have possibly made. With this team the athletes and coaches were able to develop a good team through hard work and determination.

This is the team’s first major win. They made it into the Western Conference last year but lost. They were erratic and immodest which were two major problems they faced. But fortunately this year the team pulled together and made it to the final game. In the championship two players had to be taken out because of a strained knee and illness, the team was able to pull together and keep the ball continuously moving.

Many players realized with RSL that they may be good at specific things but the coaches wanted more. The coaches helped change each player into improved defensive and offensive players by focusing on individuals strengths and weaknesses. By working on these attributes RSL players improved themselves and it paid off.

In this game there were many athletes that played an important role in the victory. But, Nick Rimando the goalkeeper saved the day. He received the title of MVP after halting two penalty kicks. Romando paved the path for Robbie Russell’s game clinching score.

Rimando is at the top of the league when it comes to penalty kicks. He has only let in 11 goals out of 20 penalty kick attempts, which means that he is far greater at stopping penalty kicks than many MLS players. Opposing shooters only have a 69 percent chance of success against him.

Even if you’re a Galaxy fan you have to admit that RSL played the better game. The fact that Rimando was able to save Donovan’s kick was incredible! But just the reality that this team was able to steal the tournament against the all powerful Galaxy says a lot. This is genuinely a gratifying victory for RSL.

About the Author Info
Diane Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah and enjoys writing about current events, politics, college degrees, online phd, and the office. Her job gives her a good chance to educate the public about online schools

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