England midfielder David Beckham has suffered from asthma since he was a boy, but it does not affect his performance, his agent was quoted as saying.

The 34-year old England star was photographed using an inhaler during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final in Seattle where his LA Galaxy team lost to Real Salt Lake.

“He has never sought to make it public but if it does inspire any sufferer to think they can achieve great things like many other sportsmen have done then so much the better,” Beckham’s agent, Simon Oliveira said.

The England veteran is due to go back to Italy’s AC Milan on loan after the MLS season, and has said he hopes playing in Europe will boost his chances of making England’s 2010 World Cup squad.

Agradecimento: Comunidade da MLS no Orkut

Soccer is by no means America’s pastime that title goes hand in hand with baseball and has probably gone over to football these days.  That aside, did you see the MLS final on Sunday.  I watched an MLS game for the first time this past weekend and it was electrifying.  I have a very basic knowledge of the game, I only played it as a child, but it was as good a finish to a sporting event as I have ever seen.  A shootout in the championship game that’s unbelievable, you can’t script stuff like that.  Not to mention the fact that the upstart underdogs from Utah went home with the MLS Cup.

The question that I pose to you as a reader is did you watch it?  I only caught the game for two reasons, one I live in Utah and there was quite a bit of buzz for the possibility of a professional sports championship in the state of Utah, a first, even if it is in soccer.  Secondly, I caught the game because I just happened to be watching ESPN at the time and they were doing the introductions.  I had prior engagements that night to be somewhere at nine o’clock, but at 9:30, I was glued to my television as the two teams went back and forth in that penalty kick shootout.  When Robbie Russell hit the game winner I was on the phone with a friend screaming and yelling about how they’d won.  It was an amazing game I couldn’t believe it.

It got me thinking, could you imagine if an NBA Finals came down to a game of one on one pick-up style to 21.  Let’s say that after two overtime sessions the Lakers and Cavs were tied and the NBA decided to play a game of 21 the following day to determine the NBA Finals winner.  Can you imagine the hype for a matchup between Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, it would be unmatched in the history of sport, now I know it’ll never happen in basketball.  The thing is it did happen in soccer this past Sunday and it made me sure of one thing I will be in attendance for many a Real Salt Lake game this next season and I might be a year late, but let’s cross our fingers and hope that I get to see another shootout in the MLS Cup.

Pese a fallar en la tanda de penales, Kyle Beckerman fue la piedra angular en la consecusión del campeonato de Real Salt Lake.

El equipo revelación de la MLS, el Real Salt Lake se consagró campeón de la MLS Cup venciendo en la tanda de penales a Los Angeles Galaxy en el estadio Rio Tinto en la ciudad de Seattle, Washington. El resultado en los 90 minutos reglamentarios fue de 1-1. El primer equipo en adelantarse fue el angelino por intermedio de Mike Magee al 41’ tras cerrar un centro de Landon Donovan. En ese momento el equipo galáctico era muy superior a su rival, sin embargo en la segunda parte Robbie Findley igualó al 64’ atrapando un rebote. El equipo de Real Salt Lake después del empate se fue adueñando del balón y a partir de ahí jugaron mejor que su rival.

El partido necesitó de la prorroga pero aún así se mantuvo empatado, por lo que fue necesario la tanda de penales. David Beckham (LAG) inició el desempate y anotó, Clint Mathis (RSL) también concretó, seguidamente Berhalter (LAG) y Findley (RSL) anotaron, en la tercera ronda fallaron tanto Kirovski (LAG) como el capitán Kyle Beckerman (RSL), no fue la noche de los capitanes ya que Landon Donovan (LAG) la tiró por encima del travesaño, Gravayov (RSL) marcó, en la quinta ronda Magee (LAG) acertó y Williams (RSL) falló, llegó la muerte súbita y Klein (LAG) y Widgert (RSL) marcaron, llegó el momento decisivo y el guardameta Rimando atajó el remate de Buddle, entonces llegó Robbie Russell y engaño al arquero Saunders para darle el primer título a la escuadra de Salt Lake con el 5-4 final.

El equipo californiano debió cambiar al arquero Donovan Ricketts por Josh Saunders debido a una lesión al minuto 66′.

Este es el primer campeonato del Real Salt Lake, que se clasificó como octavo de la tabla general, dejando en el camino a los 3 favoritos al título, primero al Columbus Crew, después al Chicago Fire y finalmente el día de ayer a Los Angeles Galaxy.

El arquero Nick Rimando ganó el MVP de la MLS Cup por su gran actuación en los 120 minutos y además atajando 2 penales.

Kyle Beckerman and Real Salt Lake celebrate winning the MLS Cup (Getty Images)

Uncreative title, I know. I couldn’t think of anything fun. C’est la vie.

In any event, it was a good match. It was very exciting although injuries took their toll, which is always unpleasant. That said, the reinforcements more than held their own for 120 minutes and 7 rounds of penalty kicks. Surprisingly, Landon Donovan and, to a lesser extent, David Beckham, were absent for long stretches of play. Donovan was particularly surprising, given how well he’s played for the national team over the last year or so.

After all of the playing, in which several players, including Andy Williams and Beckham, ran themselves ragged, it came down to penalty kicks. The exciting/aggravating time in soccer. Both keepers played well, with Real Salt Lake’s (I hate their name, BTW. It is hands-down the dumbest name in MLS. I don’t understand why they didn’t call it “Royal Salt Lake” or the “Salt Lake Royals” or something. Why the Spanish? Why???) Nick Rimando performed his wizardry again: stopping just enough Galaxy shots to win the match and the MVP award. Surprisingly, Donovan missed his penalty kick. Go figure.

The atmosphere was electric; Seattle did a wonderful job hosting the Cup and creating the atmosphere. Over 46,000 people watched the match. They weren’t disappointed. Among some, the idea has already taken hold that the atmosphere proves soccer has arrived; I wouldn’t go that far but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Congrats, Salt Lake.

Penalties, where men are bewildered and broken. Real Salt Lake won the MLS Cup Final, edging the Galaxy 5-4 in penalties after a 1-1 draw. David Beckham took his first penalty kick since his epic Euro 2004 miss, slotting it calmly into the net. Normally solid Landon Donovan missed the net completely, for the first time in his MLS career. Beckham’s MLS vindication and, perhaps, Landon Donovan’s farewell were spoiled.

Real Salt Lake were impressive. They controlled midfield, particularly as the seemingly less fit Galaxy faded. Kyle Beckerman was tireless and everywhere. Robbie Findley was a constant threat with his speed. Both should be candidates for inclusion in the U.S. National Team.

Continued at The Big Lead

I want to start by saying I don’t believe that any championship soccer game should be decided by penalty kicks.  Soccer is the ultimate team sport, 11 players coming together as one for a full 90 trying to overcome complicated defensive alignments to achieve the ultimate goal.

However, last night’s MLS cup final in Seattle was not only a great soccer game, dominated in the first half by a very deliberate Los Angeles Galaxy team that had a game plan and executed it almost flawlessly, to Salt Lake, who took over in the second half and had plenty of chances to win the game both in regulation and in overtime.

You have to give credit to LA, who had to replace their Goalkeeper (the first time in MLS cup play that a goalkeeper had to be replaced in a game), and Josh Saunders responded with a great second half, and a fantastic penalty kick round.

What Real Salt Lake was able to accomplish without a designated player from the MLS, battling arguably the two best offensive players in the league in Landon Donovan and David Beckham was truly remarkable – and to bring the first major league championship to the State of Utah is fantastic, and my hat is off to them.

Dave Checketts is in my opinion one of the best owners in all of sport.  With multiple sports properties under his belt, he does what every owner should do – he hires the right people, puts them in the right places and doesn’t interfere.  The difference between Mr. Checketts and most owners is – he could interfere and know exactly what he is talking about, having become the youngest General Manager in the NBA when he ran the Utah Jazz, and ultimately becoming the President of the Knicks, Rangers and Madison Square Garden.  He get’s it – and puts people in place that get the job done.  He deserves a lot of credit here too.

And to Jason Kries, what a story the coach of Real Salt Lake is.  When he retired to take on this job two years ago, I thought he was crazy.  He was such a talented player, and now at 36, he still looks like he could lace up and go at it.  He brought this group of guys together like no other coach could, and they would run through a brick wall for him.

Congrats to the 2009 MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake.  Don’t get to used to the title though, the Sounders are coming for you.

These are exciting times for you, lucky reader of EdHoncho.com. First, our initial installment of Civil Discussion to lead into the weekend, and now, the first ever Honcho Awards to close it. I know how you must feel… all giddy and delighted with the anticipation of information satiation that only I can provide. And don’t be threatened by my spectacular vocabulary… it’s merely a childish retaliation to those who asked my parents “is he stupid?” or “does he make you sad?” or “is there a history of vegetablism in your family?” Today, those same people ask “is he too good for his own good?” Maybe, those same people… maybe.

But back to the Honchos. I’ll be doling them out every Monday for performances so exhilarating… so transcendent… that the only way to properly honor them… is with a Honcho Award. Eventually, winners will be presented with a solid gold house inlaid with pearls and ivory, but until my mass order can be filled, a pat on the back and, more importantly, your name on this page, will have to suffice. I’m sure it will.

So without further ado, I award this week’s Honchos to:

-  Me, for this site.

- Real Salt Lake, for their upset victory in the MLS Cup. They embody the inherent greatness of the playoff system… that a team can put it together late, make a run, and pull off an astounding championship that surprises almost everyone. It sustains the NCAA tournament, UEFA Champions League, NFL Playoffs, and any other tournament where an underdog has a legitimate chance to be a champion. On the flip side, NCAA football and every domestic football/soccer league save the ones in America and Australasia suffer from its’ absence.

- Matthew Stafford, for his Ford Expedition-sized balls. From being left in a lump by the full weight of a 300+ pound man (plus the force of gravity, of course) to throwing his game-winning 5th touchdown pass on the very next play, left arm dangling at his side. Ed Honcho is impressed, Detroit. And Ed Honcho is not easily impressed.

- Jermain Defoe, for his five goals in Tottenham’s thrashing of Wigan. Receiving an award while playing for Tottenham is not an easy thing to pull off, such is my distaste for ‘Arry Redknapp. Kudos, Jermain. And while typically goal-scorers get too much credit, he deserves praise for taking his chances. Plenty, if not most, forwards would have spurned at least two of them, but Defoe dispatched them with the greatest of ease.

- Jeremiah Masoli, for carrying Oregon in a double-overtime thriller against Arizona. Three rushing TD’s and three passing TD’s will get you a Honcho almost every time. And that last drive of regulation? Magnifique. That’s what I want from a QB. That’s what I demand from a QB. As for that defense….

- Wesley Johnson, because when the lights came on, he knew it. Not much better way to start your career than to take home the MVP Award (a decidedly less impressive award than a Honcho, but decent) of the 2K Sports Classic. Syracuse took on California and North Carolina at Madison Square Garden, and Johnson looked like a man among boys, scoring 17 and 25 points, respectively. But the best part of the story came from some advice he sought from Syracuse graduate assistant Gerry McNamara, who had many a scintillating game under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. When probed by Johnson on how he did it, he said “when the lights come on, you’re going to know it.” Prophetic, that McNamara. Maybe there’s a place for him at EdHoncho.com. I could use a graduate assistant. Unpaid, of course.

- Jimmie Johnson, for capturing his fourth consecutive NASCAR championship. No one may like him, what with the blandness and predictability of it all, but damnet, at EdHoncho.com, we celebrate greatness. So get off your asses, NASCAR fans, and give this man the respect he deserves.

- The Representatives for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. They have to make this fight happen. They just have to. Off to a good start.

- Hector Arana, for winning his first NHRA PSM Championship at the age of 51, after 18 years of up-and-down results. Though, if I’m honest, doesn’t this give credence to my assertion that motorcycle racing is a game? I mean, I’m just saying…

- Guy N’dy Assembe, for his stonewalling of Bordeaux. The goalkeeper led Valenciennes to victory over the defending champs, the first time they’ve lost at home in over two years. In the books written about the performance that are sure to come, “Honcho Award-Winning” will indeed be included, possibly within the title itself. Of this much I’m certain.

So there you have it. And think about this, dear readers. These ten people (well, more than that if you consider “Real Salt Lake” and “The representatives for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather” to be plural, which you should, probably, unless there’s a history of vegetablism in your family) are the only people in the world with Honcho Awards. That’s super-primo exclusive company, my friends. Like the number of people named Xyzyx, or the number of people over 8 feet tall. If you’re on that list, consider yourself exceptional.

On Sunday afternoon my son drove us downtown to attend the Major League Soccer Cup Final being held at Qwest Field. It was a beautiful night for soccer. Very cold but not a drop of rain fell on us during the pre-game festivities and the game.

Seattle was putting on a good show with just enough sunshine to make it glow.

It’s time for Major League Soccer in Seattle!

Josh, Beau, Jan and I were the happy ticket holders for the evening. The Seattle Sounders Season tickets included a ticket for this game.

I was able to get some photos of Josh with a couple Sounders. This is Roger Levesque, one of our favorite players!

It’s always fun to participate in the “march to the match” where hundreds of people carrying their flags and scarves walk together to Qwest field from Occidental Park with the Sounders band leading the way.

Josh with Leo Gonzalez a great defender for the Sounders.

After the march we headed straight to our favorite taco truck to get some yummy street tacos. You just can’t beat 3 asada tacos with onion and cilantro for $5.

Even though the Sounders were not in the final the stadium was filled with green. There was a good section of Real Salt Lake supporters in red, blue and gold and a section of L.A. Galaxy supporters wearing the blue, white and gold. I have to say that it was nice just cheering on good soccer and not being all worked up over a certain team winning…

I love Seattle at night!

There were 46,011 people in attendance for this game. I’m sure we set a MLS Cup record for attendance with that number!

If it’s confetti…it must be game time!

Just in case you don’t recognize him this is David Beckham. There are people who bad mouth him but you cannot argue the fact that he has a beautiful touch on the ball! He really is a talented soccer player and he looks pretty good, too.

Landon Donovan is another great soccer player. He was the Honda Player of the Year. He also plays for the U.S. Soccer team so you’ll see him at World Cup in Africa 2010. He didn’t have a great night in the finals and he missed his penalty shot in the shoot-out. I’m sure he was very disappointed. I hate to see games go to Penalty kicks!!! Drives me nuts.

Galaxy did get to celebrate after this goal before Real Salt Lake tied it up.

I don’t have a photo of Real Salt Lake celebrating their victory but they did win after 2 overtime periods and then a penalty shot shoot-0ut. Congratulations to Real Salt Lake, their fans who came out in number, and their great goal keeper, Nick Rimando!

Nick Rimando

Sheesh! That was a lot of photos. If you made it all the way to the end, Congratulations!

SEATTLE — After a match that couldn’t be decided in regulation time, perhaps it was fitting that the penalty kick shootout would also need a little bit extra. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando made two saves and Robbie Russell buried the winning kick in the seventh round of the penalty kick shootout, and Real Salt Lake won the first trophy in club history, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 5-4 after a 1-1 draw.

Penalty kicks became necessary after the two teams finished 120 minutes deadlocked. Galaxy midfielder Mike Magee converted in the first half to put a capstone on a period of Los Angeles dominance, while Robbie Findley did the same for Real Salt Lake in the second half.

The title is the first in Real Salt Lake history, while Los Angeles fell in their sixth MLS Cup appearance.

Los Angeles made two changes from the team that took the field against Houston in the Western Conference Championship. Chris Klein and Dema Kovalenko were dropped from the lineup at the last minute for Chris Birchall and Jovan Kirovski. Real Salt Lake came out with the same lineup that bested Chicago in the other final, with Yura Movsisyan retaining his spot in the starting lineup ahead of Fabian Espindola. Will Johnson, who was suffering from food poisoning, found himself in RSL coach Jason Kreis’ starting XI.

Sorry that the video is in spanish.

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Both teams came out conservatively, with neither team committing players forward in attack. LA’s Birchall sat just in front of the back four in a holding midfield role.

The first half-chance came in the ninth minute, with the Galaxy’s Todd Dunivant crossing from the left in the vicinity of Buddle, but the forward’s headed ball didn’t threaten the goal.

Will Johnson picked up the first yellow card for impeding Landon Donovan’s progress in the 14th minute. Just a few seconds later, RSL’s Argentinean playmaker, Javier Morales, got caught on the business end of an aggressive David Beckham tackle and came up holding his left knee. After coming off the field for treatment, Morales attempted to play through but could not continue.

Kreis was forced to use a valuable substitution early, bringing in Clint Mathis in the 22nd minute. With Morales out, Los Angeles started to assert its will on the game.

Kirovski found some space from an Edson Buddle pass in the 25th minute, lashing a volley towards Nick Rimando’s goal. After blocking the initial shot, Rimando was able to gobble up the rebound to keep the game scoreless.

On the other end, Real Salt Lake created their first real danger through the speedy Robbie Findley. The striker challenged Gregg Berhalter in a one-on-one situation, but the LA’s veteran defender escorted the ball over the end line. However, Findley’s speed caused the Galaxy defense real worry. Los Angeles tried to negate RSL’s speed with a high defensive line, drawing Findley offside three times in the first half alone.

In the 28th minute, a Los Angeles corner kick bounced in the six-yard box before rebounding over the goal, with Omar Gonzalez getting the last touch. The first clear-cut scoring chance came in the 36th minute off a well-executed LA counterattack. Donovan fed a streaking Mike Magee on the left side. As he breached the RSL penalty area, the Galaxy midfielder took a touch and sizzled a low drive past Rimando’s far post.

Los Angeles continued to press with Donovan’s volley from an extremely tight angle going into the stands on the north side of the stadium. Another potentially dangerous situation was diffused by an offside call against Edson Buddle.

By this time RSL was reeling and perhaps unsurprisingly, the first goal final came in the 41st minute. With RSL’s defense scrambling, Beckham played wide to Donovan. Given time to survey the field, Donovan lifted a gentle cross to Magee, who finished neatly at the far post.

RSL attempted to answer back before halftime. Andy Williams served in an enticing free kick to the far post after Beckerman was fouled. Nat Borchers, fighting off Berhalter, headed the ball directly into the hands of Donovan Ricketts, but at least RSL had answered. In the last notable play of first-half stoppage time, Movsisyan controlled and volleyed high as RSL showed a fighting spirit going into halftime.

At the break, Kreis burned another substitution, throwing Ned Grabavoy into the fray for Johnson in an attempt to regain control of the midfield. He almost needed to use a third as Findley and Ricketts collided just minutes in the second stanza.

After a Los Angeles turnover, Movsisyan played Findley through down the right side. After a touch, Findley attempted to pass back to Movsisyan with Ricketts blocked the ball as the two players came together. The striker and goalkeeper stayed on the turf for about three minutes before play resumed, with both able to continue.

As the second half continued, Los Angeles played in a more defensive stance, content to concede possession to their opponents as long as they stayed in their own end.

Beckham got a chance to bend in a free kick in the 58th minute after a foul by Jamison Olave. His attempt from about 25 yards went directly into the defensive wall, which Beckham thought had encroached.

On the other end, Real Salt Lake had a penalty appeal turned down in the 60th minute. Some quick passing between Beckerman and Ian Russell found Movsisyan free in the penalty area. Birchall made some contact with Movsisyan, but not enough for match referee Kevin Stott to award a penalty.

Nevertheless, the play fired up the Claret-and-Cobalt and soon after, the equalizer came. After a Movsisyan shot was blocked in the penalty area, Findley latched onto the loose ball and put it home with his left foot. On the play, Ricketts was injured and had to be replaced by in goal by Josh Saunders. It marked the first time a goalkeeper had been substituted in MLS Cup history.

Real Salt Lake kept the pressure on, with Grabavoy finding Movsisyan streaking, only to have the striker’s shot fly out of play. This stage of the game belonged completely to RSL. In complete contrast to the first half, Beckerman or one of his cohorts seemed to win every loose ball in the midfield. Kreis looked to push the advantage with fresh legs, bringing in Espindola for Movsisyan.

Los Angeles pressed forward in its own right. During one possession, six white shirts laid in wait in the RSL penalty area for a series of Beckham crosses. Another injury used the last substitution. In the 89th minute, Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena was forced to bring in A.J. DeLaGarza for a cramping Omar Gonzalez.

Real Salt Lake had more chances to win the match in the latter stages of regulation, with a Mathis free kick from distance being plucked from the goal’s top corner by Saunders. Williams crossed in to the back post, with DeLaGarza just barely heading the ball away. After a long period of stoppage time, the match entered the 30-minute extra time period.

Real Salt Lake continued to control the match, with the midfield ably keeping possession. Grabavoy took a first-time shot from Espindola, which was knocked down by an LA defender. Findley’s quickness got him to the knockdown first, but a sliding DeLaGarza probably saved a goal with his legs. Findley nearly scored again in the eighth minute of overtime, skimming the net on the near side with a powerful effort.

Mathis touched that same side netting with a free kick, narrowly missing after Beckham awkwardly brought down Beckerman.

As the second overtime period got underway, Los Angeles took more initiative to get forward. But again it was the midfield quartet of Mathis, Grabavoy, Beckerman, and Williams who controlled the game as Beckham’s injured ankle seemed to hamper him. The English midfielder did have a chance in the 24th minute of overtime, swinging in another free kick that was punched away by Rimando.

In the end, neither team scored and the match went to penalty kicks. While six championship games have gone to overtime, only one other MLS Cup was decided on penalty kicks, when Houston bested New England in 2006. Neither side looked willing to bend early.

Beckham and Mathis converted the first round of penalties, followed by Berhalter and Findley. Rimando, who had made three saves in the Eastern Conference final, made the first big play, diving to his right to deny Kirovski. Saunders answered by saving Beckerman in a near carbon copy of the previous kick.

Donovan stepped up. Normally deadly in these situations, the LA captain’s shot went over the bar. Grabavoy seized the momentum with a coolly taken goal. Magee’s successful effort kept Los Angeles alive. RSL’s Williams calmly strode to the spot to seal the win, but Saunders dove left to make the save.

Now into the sixth round, Klein and Chris Wingert both tallied. Rimando came up with another big save on Buddle, leaving Philip F. Anschutz Trophy in defender Russell’s hands. This time the shot went in, going low to the left with Saunders diving the other way. Russell immediately dropped to his knees as Rimando and the rest of the squad raced in to create the celebratory dogpile.

::: FistedAway today welcomes a guest post from Elliott Tucker, editor of the rather lovely Futfanatico :::

MLS commissioner Don Garber went from talking with European bigwigs to a dose of cold reality with this MLS Cup weekend, in which the eleven men of Real Salt Lake beat an undermanned David Beckham. Yes, ESPN stopped short of legal action, but did issue a heated written reprimand on most major outlets against “the Don.” What’s the problem, you ask? Why is the Seattle rain falling down on the MLS parade? Television broadcast rights.

And piracy.

Sources indicate that since 2007, an  anonymous bandit on Justin.tv. has been illegally broadcasting streams of MLS games. ESPN, owner of the tv rights and incensed at such piracy, demanded that Justin.tv ban the illegal broadcasters. They have threatened swift legal action should any scofflaw broadcast the MLS Cup final. Yet a closer look revealed a pattern in the user names: DGarber27, DonGarb, DonDonG, and D2ThaMuhfuknG to name a few.

Eventually, after the user’s IP address was traced to MLS headquarters, coincidentally Don Garber’s suburban home in upstate New York, “the Don” came clean. He was quoted as saying that “he just wanted MLS to get to a broader audience,” an odd claim given that the highest peak viewership reached barely 200 users. The most popular match, strangely enough, was marketed under the erroneous title “Doogie Howser MD Reunion Special”. Neil Patrick Harris was happy to do an interview in exchange for a warm, free lunch, but knew nothing of the broadcast.

Despite such suspicious circumstances, the Don apologized to ESPN and promised to never again broadcast over Justin.tv. He also double pinky-sweared to not broadcast the MLS Cup final on Justin.tv this Sunday. However, when pointedly questioned about suspicious user names on other broadcasting platforms, such as “DonzoMcGonzo” at Ustream, and “IreallyamDonGarberJEEZ” at Veetle, “the Don” declined to comment. His grin said it all.

::: Elliott Tucker is the editor of Futfanatico :::

When writing about a game that involves a team I support I like to take the approach of looking at the cup as being both half full or half empty. As a (mostly) non-partisan observer for MLS Cup I didn’t want to pollute this blog with such thinking.  

(I am, however, surprised that I haven’t yet seen an overtime/penalty related headline somewhere about how “The Cup Runneth Over” . . . ) 

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, the tried to play on the ground, the wanted to play soccer.   LA never seemed quite capable of that despite Donovan and Beckham’s presence – and 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 US 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 story line around Beckham’s “unfinished business” to create some drama after his Milan loan draws to a close.   (Too bad he doens’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 post the 45 minute mark pretty much sums up the confusion MLS and US 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 US National Team shows us as bland and boring?  Is he a player how 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 USA.  What I worry about is the reverse – some odd crisis of confidence that affects his decision making about his play and his next steps for his club future.

M.V.P. – I like Nick Rimando and 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 - getts an MVP award.   There are suggest - especially for just PKs.   I much prefer a field player gets it, and 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 US 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 . . . time to start watching the Collective Bargaining Agreement hyperbole that we will all be bombarded with and seeing if we can cut through the malarkey that gets spewed from both sides.

Real Salt Lake stunned the LA Galaxy on penalty kicks to win its first MLS Cup.  RSL won 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Salt Lake goalie Nick Rimando came up huge, making two saves in the penalty shootout, while Landon Donovan put his kick over the bar.  Robbie Russell scored the title-clinching PK in the seventh round. Backup LA goalie Josh Saunders also made two saves in the shootout.

It was the first title for Real since the team joined the league as an expansion club five years ago.  Real also has the distinction of becoming the first professional sports franchise in the US to win a title after finishing the regular season with a losing record. Mike Magee gave LA the lead in the first half – scoring after some excellent work from David Beckham and Donovan.  Robbie Findlay equalized for Salt Lake in the second half.

It was a hard fought game by both sides, and it’s always unfortunate that a close contest like this has to come down to penalties.  In my dream world, they would just keep playing until there was a goal, even if it took all night.

Ham fisted.

Real Salt Lake: MLS Champs (Getty)

Alright, I know that this is a French football blog and that we talk about “everything French football.” But I had to talk about last night’s MLS Cup.

I want to congratulate Real Salt Lake on their victory. They came in as the underdogs and were able to show that any team can beat any powerhouse team on any given day. And I was happy to see the system work. While many people say that it is a shame that a sub .500 team won the MLS Cup, I think that goes with our American spirit of how “anyone can do it”. So, again congrats.

This is a special win for me as well. I attended the University of Utah when Real Salt Lake started as a team. I lived on the U campus when it seemed like Rice Eccles Stadium was being transformed into the home of the 2004 Fiesta Bowl Champions to the home of the newly founded Real Salt Lake team. Wherever you went around town, you saw signs of Real Salt Lake.

Therefore, I was able to grow with the team from the time they announced they were making a bid for the team, to the moment they were awarded their team to the opening day match at Rice Eccles in 2005 (which, or course, I had class).  I remember going to their offices all the time across the street from Trolley Square and picking up calendars, key chains and other official gear for the team.

This team has grown with the city, and the city has grown with it. If you go to Salt Lake City, you can tell that the team is a strong part of the character of the city. Everywhere you go, you see Real Salt Lake stuff all around. And the Real Salt Lake supporter have always been there for their team, with 5th highest attendance in MLS, beating out the likes of Columbus, DC United and the Chicago Fire.

So when there was talk about the team leaving if a new stadium wasn’t built in Sandy, it made be quite upset. I would talk to my footfall friends back then saying that moving a team out of Salt Lake City would be horrible. The fans have put so much into that team, and then they were going to just pull the team right out from underneath them? That was wrong, really wrong.

But the debate continued, the stadium was built and Real Salt Lake continued their play in the great state of Utah.

Like I said, this MLS Cup victory couldn’t happen to a better group of supporters. They stuck by their team during many of the bad times. And, today, they can finally stick by them during the good times. I am happy for the State of Utah for getting their first ever professional sport’s championship as well.

While I don’t really watch MLS at all, I was filled emotion when RSL won last night. Honestly, I was choked up. Mostly because I was their when they were born, kind of like a child. And to be with a team from the time they were at the ground level to the time they won the MLS Cup is something purely amazing.

So, again, I know this is a French football blog, but I wanted to say congrats to RSL. I am moving back to Salt Lake in May. Hopefully I will be able to score some season tickets.

I shall wear my Real Salt Lake jersey proudly today!

What you missed while scientists were finding a new type of predator coral that can eat jellyfish…

• David Beckham’s LA Galaxy lost the MLS Cup on penalties to Real Salt Lake last night, but Beckham is still planning on coming back after his AC Milan move, possibly with an eye towards one day owning an MLS franchise. Beckham Beckham Beckham Beckham.
• Jermain Defoe scored five goals in Tottenham’s 9-1 demolition of Wigan.
• Barcelona drew 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao Saturday, dropping them behind Real Madrid on the table; even worse, Lionel Messi went down with a thigh tear that will likely leave him out of the Super Classico on Saturday.
• Gaël Kakuta, the controversial Chelsea youth prospect, made his debut against Wolves.
• Liverpool will have to beat Debrecini VSC without Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel; the way things are going lately, look for a 2-2 draw in Hungary tomorrow.
• Carlos Vela’s potential has convinced Arsene Wenger to stop trying to sign Marouane Chamakh.
• Thierry Henry considered quitting after his controversial double dribble against Ireland.
• Philipp Lahm says that Bayern Munich is “sick” and “lame”. No word on whether they’re also “bogus” and “heinous”.
• Switzerland’s FC Gossau and FC Thun have each banned players over their roles in a match fixing scandal.
• Palermo have sacked Walter Zenga for extending the club’s winless run to four games, knocking all the pieces over.
• Rubin Kazan’s scoreless draw with Zenit St. Petersburg saw them clinch their second consecutive Russian Premier League title.
• Gary Neville has hit out against “mollycoddled” players who collect paychecks but never seem to actually play rely on their agents to do everything for them.

Nick Rimando recebeu o Volkswagen MLS Cup MVP. O goleiro do Real Salt Lake defendeu 2 cobranças de pênaltis e ajudou a sua equipe faturar o título inédito da Major League Soccer. Ele já tinha sido decisivo na final de conferência quando defendeu três cobranças contra o Chicago Fire.

Rimando é considerado por muitos como o melhor pegador de pênaltis da MLS, os números mostram que em 20 pênaltis o goleiro sofreu 11 gols (esses números são válidos somente em disputas de pênaltis).

O Los Angeles Galaxy foi derrotado pelo Real Salt Lake por 5 a 4 na disputa de pênaltis, na final da Major League Soccer, diante de um público de 46.011 torcedores no estádio Qwest Field, em Seattle. No tempo normal, empate por 1 a 1 (0 a 0 na prorrogação).

O Galaxy buscava o tricampeonato do torneio, que já conquistou em 2002 e 2005. Foi a primeira vez que Beckham disputou a final da competição desde sua chegada ao clube, em 2007. O Real Salt Lake, que conseguiu a última vaga para os playoffs, faturou o seu primeiro título na Liga.

O Galaxy saiu na frente num lance que passou pelos pés de seus dois principais jogadores. Beckham puxou o contra-ataque e viu Landon Donovan aberto pela direita. O atacante da seleção americana cruzou no segundo pau, e Mike Magee completou com oportunismo, aos 41 minutos da etapa inicial.

No segundo tempo, Robbie Findley empatou a partida aos 19 minutos, chutando rasteiro após um bate-rebate na grande área do Galaxy. O placar de 1 a 1 levou o jogo para a prorrogação. Nada de gols, e decisão nas penalidades máximas. Beckham abriu a disputa convertendo sua cobrança, mas Donovan, Kirovski e Buddle desperdiçaram para o Galaxy. Robbie Russell, ex-jogador do time de Los Angeles, bateu o pênalti que garantiu a inédita taça para o Real Salt Lake.

Escalações:

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).

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

I have had a rockin’ weekend. On Friday I was graced with the best Thrice performance I’ve seen thus far, Saturday was spent with my brother, some friends, and my cousin Nate, and now Real Salt Lake takes the MLS cup!!! To honor the men who made my weekend the best I’ve had in a long while I decided to style an outfit for the big boys. I will go more into the awesomeness of my weekend in later posts so keep checking the blog if you want to know more.

This sweater, can I just say, is drool worthy. It almost makes me wish I had a boyfriend so I could dress him in it. Almost. And the shoes are super rad, the perfect balance of edgy without being so out there that you look like you’re trying too hard. For those of you who think that v-neck sweaters should be worn with crew neck tees, I promise you that this is a myth. Men’s fashion is all about the details and doubling up on the v-necks is one detail that totally works.

the sweater and shoes are urbanoutfitters.com, the jeans are ccs.com, and the shirt is zumiez.com. Altogether the outfit costs 129.97

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=181&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=17000258&parentid=M_APP_SALE_TOPS&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,price&navCount=162&navAction=poppushpushpush&color=&pushId=M_APP_SALE_TOPS&popId=M_APP_SALE&prepushId=MENS_SALE

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16804841&parentid=M_SHOES_ALLSHOES&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,price&navCount=138&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=M_SHOES_ALLSHOES&popId=MENS_SHOES&prepushId=

http://shop.ccs.com/product/model:107199/sku:61-39067/?cm=&supercat=Clearance

http://www.zumiez.com/vans-stakeout-white-v-neck-tee.html