Sometimes the sweetest victories come when just about everyone has written you off. That’s how Real Salt Lake earned their first-ever MLS Cup Championship title — against all odds after they just narrowly squeaked their way into the playoffs.
Playoffs, here we come
Sitting in sixth place — one spot outside of the playoff race — going into the final match day of the 2009 season, the claret-and-cobalt hosted their Rocky Mountain rivals Colorado Rapids, who held the fifth-place spot and were all but set to make a playoff run.
RSL had different plans, though, and thanks to two goals from Robbie Findley and a third from Yura Movsisyan, the Royals secured not only a 3-0 win, but the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs for the second year in a row.