In the end, the MLS Cup ended up in the hands of Becks - just not the one everyone was expecting. Rather than LA Galaxy's David Beckham, it was Real Salt Lake's captain Kyle Beckerman who led his side to the championship after only a topsy-turvy penalty shoot-out could separate the two sides following a tense 1-1 draw. Real Salt Lake were the underdogs going into the season's decisive match, but Robbie Russell's nerveless penalty sealed the match in their favour and sparked wild celebrations.
For LA Galaxy, there was only a feeling of disappointment. Missed penalties by Jovan Kirovski, Landon Donovan and then Edson Buddle in sudden death made theirs a futile task. Real Salt Lake will toast their goalkeeper Nick Rimando for two saves from the spot, while Donovan, one of the most feared players in the American league, skied his effort miles over the bar. It conjured memories of Jaap Stam's miss for Holland against Italy during Euro 2000.
Real Salt Lake have only been in existence for five years. Unlike LA Galaxy, who have two MLS Cups to their name, they have never been champions. They fully deserved their win, made all the more impressive by the manner in which they fought back in the second half after they had trailed to Mike Magee's goal. After the break, they were the more purposeful side, fashioning several chances and generally ensuring their more fancied opponents had to rely on aimless counter-attacks.
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Yet in the first half, it was they who lacked conviction and LA Galaxy merited their half-time lead. As in most finals, the match began in bitty style, both sides playing within themselves with sloppy errors the order of the day initially. Openings were few and far between, the best coming from the right foot of Beckham after 27 minutes, when his corner was met with a poke by Omar Gonzalez which drifted high and wide.
Despite the lack of quality on show however, the match was played at a decent pace, with both midfields leaving vast spaces for the other to exploit. As it was, LA Galaxy took advantage of this. They threatened when Magee pulled a shot wide, but led shortly after. Beckham and Donovan, the two classiest players on show, have not always seen eye to eye, but they put their differences aside to create the opener after 41 minutes. Fed by Beckham's cute pass, Donovan had time and space to pick out Magee at the far post, and his finish was easy.
That ought to have been the cue for Bruce Arena's side to turn the screw, but their start to the second half was slack. Real Salt Lake only just scraped into the play-offs and would surely have wilted under more concerted pressure. Instead they were immediately given encouragement when Robbie Findlay burst through and forced a good save from Donovan Ricketts. The LA Galaxy goalkeeper hurt his hand in the collision though, and he would not last much longer.
It seemed only a matter of time before Real Salt Lake equalised. All that was barring them was the inspired performance of Ricketts, who again had to save from Yura Movsisyan as the LA Galaxy defence became an irrelevance. Eventually, in the 63rd minute, the persistence of Findley and Movsisyan paid off, the two attackers bundling through. A goalmouth scramble ensued before the Movsisyan's shot was deflected into Findley's path. He couldn't miss.
To compound LA Galaxy's misery, in the melée, Ricketts hurt his hand again and had to be replaced by Josh Saunders. That swap was not fatal; Saunders performed well, and twice saved in the shoot-out, but the chaos was symptomatic of LA Galaxy's often haphazard display. Equally wayward was Movsisyan's finishing. He should have completed the turnaround when a lobbed pass sent him through, but composure eluded him and he blazed his volley over.
There was little let-up in extra time, with Real Salt Lake continuing to probe for an elusive winner. Findley, a real livewire, was their main threat, his pace a constant concern. First A.J. DeLaGarza produced a vital block on his shot. Then he had the net billowing with a strike at the near post. It fooled the crowd, but the ball had merely been directed into the side netting.
Such profligacy in front of goal might have come back to haunt Real Salt Lake, but in a shoot-out that no one looked like they wanted to win, it was they who had the final say. Beckham, who had taken a painkilling injection to play due to a bruised right ankle, faded as the match progressed and limped and grimaced his way through extra time. Russell's decisive penalty will have done little to sooth the former England captain's pain.
