Real Salt Lake Win The 2009 MLS Cup
In a game typically of most MLS matches the MLS Cup was full of honest effort and grit but less on any moments of brilliance aside from Landon Donvan’s cross to set up Mike Magee goal. A fitting way to end this back and forth contest was to decide it on penalties where Andy Williams had a chance to win the cup for Real Salt Lake only to have it saved by Galaxy backup keeper Josh Saunders. Once Edson Buddle missed for the Galaxy, Robbie Russell then stepped up with a chance to be a hero and he made no mistake coolly sliding it inside the post.
Thanks to penalty misses by the likes of Landon Donovan it was in the stars for Real Salt Lake to end their Cinderella run by winning the MLS Cup after making it as an 8th seed on the final day of the season. Along the way they took out Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire then prevented David Beckham from lifting the MLS Cup.
Congrats to Real Salt Lake who have gone from MLS expansion team to MLS Champions in five years.