By L.E. Eisenmenger - BOSTON, MA (Nov 18, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- The Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake didn’t kick into high gear until the end of the season, but it’s no real surprise they meet in the MLS Cup final. The combinations of players, coaches, stadiums, and marketing show these clubs built ships to survive bad weather and win races. Despite that both teams struggled in the middle of the table through most of the season, LA achieved the second highest attendance in the league and small market Real Salt Lake had the fifth.
Yet, superficially, neither team was an easy bet. The Galaxy returned from a dismal 2008 season to suffer the slings and arrows alongside the late arrival of David Beckham. Real Salt Lake started strong in a new soccer-specific stadium, the stunningly beautiful Rio Tinto, but after scoring a record-setting six goals in 36 minutes on the New England Revolution they slid into a seven-game win-less streak.Both teams were designed to withstand hardship.
During Tuesday's media call, former United States National Team coach Bruce Arena praised RSL as a team that’s “very well-balanced and pieced together” and described captain and National Team player Kyle Beckerman as “one of the best players in MLS.”
That said, RSL’s dynamics took a while to mesh. They crept into the playoff pack with the lowest points (40), but most goals scored (43), two more than the Supporters' Shield winning Columbus Crew. Now that RSL pulled together after a less than stellar season, coach Jason Kreis takes responsibility for the team’s very rough patch.
“I was overconfident and treated that New England match as if it was some big match for us,” said Kreis. “In hindsight, it was a very good 45 minutes against a team that was struggling with injuries.... We had read too many pundits that were saying good things about our team and that we would be competing for a championship this year and forgot all the little things that it took to get to that level. We’re a team that must work hard. If we don’t outwork, out-want the game more than our opponents do, we won’t win and we won’t get results. We don’t have guys that are blessed with brilliant soccer abilities, we don’t have stars on our team.”
Striker Yura Movsisyan took the spotlight early in the season, but it was Robbie Findley who scored 12 goals alongside four assists, including the first hat trick in RSL history. His form is peaking now. Beckerman patrols the midfield with dedication and dreadlocks that perhaps make him the most iconic figure in MLS today. His regular season three goals, two assists, and 10 yellow cards show his commitment to managing the game on any level.
Will Johnson impressed and Fabian Espindola offers an attacking threat coming off the bench, but Javier Morales features uniquely in RSL’s patient, creative style. Morales is coming off a strong '08, with 15 assists and six goals. This year, the Argentine was hampered by injury and only had five assists and one goal.
“[Morales] is a unique player in that he’s a true number 10,” said Kreis. “He puts in as much work as any player out there on the defensive side of the ball and that part of his game is unique for a playmaker.... He’ll be the first to tell you that this hasn’t been his greatest season, but he has really blossomed and is playing extremely well at the moment and has been over the past couple of weeks, and will be a key figure for us on Sunday.”
The Galaxy, loaded with the star power of Landon Donovan and Beckham, had a different set of challenges. That included lopsided management of the salary cap.
Arena cut and slashed when he came on board and added 16 new players, including many seasoned professionals. His first priority was to sign three new defenders, a keeper, and a holding midfielder to get past the 2008 record of most goals allowed in the League. The media ridiculed the team as aged hacks, but as the season wore on and rookies ran out of tricks, the value of experience became increasing clear. Arena's veterans paced themselves and the goal scorers integrated into play.
The Galaxy played a solid game. The integrity was usually there. Although the tie scores frustrated fans, the individual points accumulated. LA steadily rose in the rankings and finished first in the Western Conference.
Galaxy public relations managed rough water fairly well. After a slippery bit with badly behaved fans and media, Beckham rose like a giant in the Barcelona match (attendance 93,000). He silenced jeers of fans abroad and Stateside with a spectacular free kick goal that brought the Galaxy level with Barca. A week later, Beckham quietly noted that goal as a career highlight then slipped out of mainstream media to be a team player while Donovan made electrical performances.
The Galaxy learned to manage Beckham’s notoriety. This summer, the announcement that he would return to AC Milan to prepare for the World Cup was quietly accepted. Compare that to the ferocious clamor that ensued last year. Beckham’s commitment to soon purchase an MLS franchise was also softly handled.
Inversely, RSL found success in a small market with a relatively nameless roster showcased in a quality setting for soccer. RSL chairman Dave Checketts fought hard to push through the new stadium, attended matches, and established a model that opens doors for smaller cities. With no other successful sports franchises, the community of Salt Lake got behind the team and gave them the fifth-best attendance in 2009 despite their lackluster results.
Morales and Beckerman contributed to the character of the team by creating humorous viral videos (The Javi and Kyle Show) in which they struggled to speak each other’s language in infomercials for the team. As casual as they were, the videos created an engaging way of connecting Spanish and English-speaking soccer fans, one of the greatest challenges for MLS. This is a marketing move other franchises could try to replicate.
So Sunday, these two very different but solid teams square off at Qwest Field, which added 6,000 seats and maybe more on account of the Galaxy. LA brings the glamour, media, and international stars and RSL brings creative play and a lot of heart. Both teams are underdogs with strong fan support. Quite simply, there are no losers here.
L.E. Eisenmenger writes for a variety of outlets including covering Boston soccer for The Examiner. Contact her at eisenmenger@soccerlens.com.
