MLS CUP 2009
LOS ANGELES GALAXY vs REAL SALT LAKE
QWEST FIELD, Seattle, Wash.
November 22, 2009, 5:30 p.m. PT (ESPN; Galavision) / KICKOFF 5:55 p.m. PT

The first team to reach MLS Cup six times, the Los Angeles Galaxy will take on a team that didn't exist until the season of their last appearance in Major League Soccer's championship game - Real Salt Lake - in MLS Cup 2009. The Galaxy lost their first three appearances in the league title game before winning their last two, both coming in extra time by 1-0 scorelines against the New England Revolution. That 2005 season was Real Salt Lake's first in MLS; they have become just the second expansion team to reach the title game.

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The teams met twice during the regular season, with Real Salt Lake coming away with a result in each. In the first meeting, May 6 at Rio Tinto Stadium, the teams played to a remarkable 2-2 draw. As the match entered stoppage time, Robbie Findley's 34th-minute goal seemed like it would stand up. Landon Donovan then converted a penalty kick just after the 90-minute mark, to put the score at 1-1. Yet a minute later, RSL converted a spot kick of its own to take a 2-1 lead, but just before the added time ran out, Mike Magee turned home a deflected shot for the final result. It was the third time in MLS history three goals were scored in added time, and the second time two penalties came after the 90th minute ticked over, the last occurring Aug 6, 2000 in a Chicago Fire 3-1 win vs. the MetroStars.

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In the second meeting, June 13 at The Home Depot Center, Real strolled home 2-0 victors. Yura Movsisyan put RSL into the lead in the 13th minute, then Nat Borchers scored the second six minutes into the second half. The victory snapped the Galaxy's 10-game unbeaten streak, the third longest in MLS this season, and was one of just two road victories for Real during the regular season (the other Aug. 29, 1-0 at Kansas City).

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Real Salt Lake are just the second expansion team (created from an expansion draft) to reach the MLS Cup Final. The Chicago Fire played in the first of their three MLS Cups - their only victory - in their inaugural season of 1998 (a 2-0 win vs. D.C. United). Chicago also played in 2000 (a 1-0 loss to Kansas City) and 2003 (a 4-2 loss to San Jose). Miami Fusion FC, formed the same year as the Fire, did not reach the MLS Cup Final in their four-year existence. Chivas USA (formed in 2005, along with Real Salt Lake), Toronto FC (2007), San Jose Earthquakes (2008) and Seattle Sounders FC (2009) have all yet to play in the MLS championship game.

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Real Salt Lake are now the third team to reach MLS Cup after entering the postseason as the lowest "seed" - the first the 2005 Los Angeles Galaxy. That year, the Galaxy tied Colorado with the seventh-best overall record, but the Rapids gained the third seed in the Western Conference on a tiebreaker, leaving the Galaxy with the No. 8 seed overall. Last year, the New York Red Bulls claimed the eighth spot overall and the second wild card spot on the season's final day - eventually advancing to MLS Cup with a victory against RSL in the Western Conference Championship.

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Real are also the fifth team to advance to the MLS Cup Final from the "bottom half" of the bracket. Along with LA in 2005 and New York a year ago, in 1997, the MLS Cup finalist Colorado Rapids finished fourth in the Western Conference (the seventh-best record in MLS). The other time was in 2001, when No. 3 Los Angeles faced No. 5 San Jose.

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With both the Galaxy and Real coming from the Western Conference, the dominance of that division in recent MLS Cups will continue. Since 2001, Western Conference clubs have won six of the eight MLS Cups. Until last year's all-East matchup between Columbus and New York, a 3-1 Crew victory, only D.C. United's 2004 victory had broken the West's hegemony.

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Real are just the fourth team in MLS Cup history to come into the league championship game with a sub-.500 regular season record - and the second in as many years. Real posted an 11-12-7 record this season. A year ago, also qualifying as the last playoff entrant, the New York Red Bulls recorded a record of 10-11-9. In 1997, the Colorado Rapids reached the Final with a 14-18 record, while in 2002, the New England Revolution made MLS Cup after a 12-14-2 season. Twice teams reached the MLS Cup Final with .500 records: D.C. United in 1996 (16-16) and the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2005 (13-13-6).

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During the regular season, Real Salt Lake tied for the second-best offensive output in the league with 43 goals, along with D.C. United behind FC Dallas' 50. The LA Galaxy scored 36 goals, tied for 10th-best. But defensively, the Galaxy allowed just 31 goals, tied for third-best in MLS, behind Houston and Seattle (29 conceded each). RSL allowed 35 goals on the season, the seventh-best record in the league.

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The all-time series between the two clubs is as tight as could be. During the five years they have both been in the league, the teams have exactly halved their previous meetings. Each team has won five of the 15 all-time meetings, with five draws, and Real have scored 24 goals, while the Galaxy have scored 23.

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The Galaxy have not defeated Real Salt Lake since June 17, 2007, a 3-2 win at The Home Depot Center. Real have won two of the six meetings since, with four draws.

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The teams come into the final in good health, with only one regular performer on either side listed even at questionable. Here are the official injury reports (as of Nov. 17): LOS ANGELES GALAXY -- OUT: DF Julian Valentin (R foot fracture); FW Alecko Eskandarian (head); QUESTIONABLE: MF Stefani Miglioranzi (L groin strain) ... REAL SALT LAKE -- QUESTIONABLE: FW Fabian Espíndola (L TFL strain); PROBABLE: DF Jamison Olave (R knee derangement); DF Chris Wingert (L adductor tightness)

QWEST FIELD
Qwest Field will become the eighth stadium to play host to the MLS championship game, and the first stadium to play host to MLS Cup for the first time since the 2005 final was played at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

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Neither team has yet to win on XBOX Pitch at Qwest Field. Coincidentally, Real Salt Lake opened their 2009 season there, in the second game for expansion Seattle Sounders FC, and came away with a 2-0 defeat. The Galaxy made their lone visit to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, May 10 and reached a 1-1 draw with Sounders FC. RSL also lost 4-1 to Sounders FC in a U.S. Open Cup tie, but that was played at Starfire Sports Complex.

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This is the second major soccer championship to be played in Seattle. The Soccer Bowl '76 was played at the Kingdome (the site of which is where Qwest Field currently stands) - Toronto Metros-Croatia defeated the Minnesota Kicks 3-0, with Portuguese World Cup star Eusebio scoring the game's first goal.

TODAY'S REFEREES
Kevin Stott, of Chino, Calif., will be the MLS Cup referee for a third time, also presiding over the 2001 and 2005 finals. Stott ran the middle in 20 games during the MLS regular season, whistling an average of 23.5 fouls per game, slightly higher than the league average of 22.9. He issued an average of 3.8 cautions per game, also just slightly above the league average of 3.74. He sent off four players while awarding two penalty kicks. Stott was also the referee in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series between Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Stott has been a FIFA referee since 1995 and has officiated in MLS since the inaugural season.

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The assistant referees are C.J. Morgante of Grove City, Pa., who will be running the line in his first MLS Cup Final, and Robert Fereday of Laurel, Md., in his second (also 2007). The fourth official is Baldomero Toledo of Norwalk, Calif., who was the referee in MLS Cup 2008.

THE COACHES
Bruce Arena will be coaching in his fourth MLS Cup Final, but his first in a decade, and has a chance to become the first coach ever to win three MLS Cups. In charge of D.C. United from the outset, Arena led that club to back-to-back victories in 1996 and 1997, before suffering a loss to Chicago in MLS Cup '98, his final MLS match before taking over the U.S. national team for nearly a decade. The Galaxy's victory in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series vs. Chivas USA was the first for Arena in the MLS Cup Playoffs since the 1998 Eastern Conference Final vs. Columbus.

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Jason Kreis has the chance to become the fourth former MLS player to also win an MLS Cup as coach. The first was Frank Yallop (Tampa Bay 1996-98); he won two MLS Cups in charge of the San Jose Earthquakes (2001, 2003). Peter Nowak (Chicago 1998-2002) led D.C. United to victory in MLS Cup 2004, and Dominic Kinnear (Colorado 1996; San Jose 1997; Tampa Bay 1998-2000) guided the Houston Dynamo to back-to-back Cup victories in 2006 and 2007. Kreis scored 108 goals, still fourth-most all-time in MLS history, in a 12-year career with Dallas (1996-2004) and Real Salt Lake (2005-07).

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Arena becomes the third coach to guide a team in four MLS Cup Finals, joining Steve Nicol, who guided the New England Revolution in four championship games (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007), and Sigi Schmid, who brought the LA Galaxy to the MLS Cup Final in 1999, 2001 and 2002, winning on the final occasion, as well as guiding last year's triumph by the Columbus Crew. Kreis will be the 15th different coach to manage a team in the MLS Cup Final.

THE TEAMS
Just four players currently on the Galaxy roster were with the team when it won the MLS Cup the last time. In that 1-0 victory in extra time against the New England Revolution, Landon Donovan and Todd Dunivant each played the entire 120 minutes, while Alan Gordon came on as a substitute in the 119th minute. In addition, current Galaxy assistant coach Cobi Jones started and played 109 minutes. Josh Saunders was an unused substitute goalkeeper. Ironically, current RSL midfielder Ned Grabavoy was also a starter in midfield for the Galaxy in that game - coming off in the 66th minute for Guillermo Ramirez, the ultimate hero after scoring the game's lone goal midway through the extra-time periods.

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Nine players with the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup. Landon Donovan has won three; two with the San Jose Earthquakes (2001 and 2003) in addition to the 2005 win with LA. Todd Dunivant also won in 2003 (an unused substitute), while Josh Saunders was also an unused substitute in that '03 Earthquakes victory. Tony Sanneh also won back-to-back MLS Cups with D.C. United in 1996 and 1997. Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United, 2004), Dema Kovalenko (2004), Chris Klein (Kansas City, 2000) and Stefani Miglioranzi (Columbus, 2008) complete the Galaxy Cup-winners. Sanneh (1998), Kovalenko (2000) and Klein (2004) - along with Mike Magee (2008, New York) have all reached an MLS Cup Final and lost.

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Four Real Salt Lake players have played in previous MLS Cup Finals, and two came away winner. Ned Grabavoy was a starter for the LA Galaxy in their last win (2005 vs. New England), and Nick Rimando was the starting goalkeeper for D.C. United in their MLS Cup victory against Kansas City in 2004. Andy Williams was a starter for the Chicago Fire in their 4-2 loss to San Jose in MLS Cup 2003, and Clint Mathis made his lone appearance in an MLS championship game a decade ago, playing 90 minutes for the Los Angeles Galaxy in a 2-0 loss to D.C. United in MLS Cup '99.

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Current Galaxy players have made their marks on MLS Cup Finals. Landon Donovan has scored three goals in his three final appearances, most all-time. Donovan is one of two players to have scored two goals in an MLS Cup Final, hitting twice in San Jose's 4-2 win against Chicago in MLS Cup 2003. The other one is Galaxy teammate Alecko Eskandarian, who scored twice for D.C. United the following year, in a 3-2 win against the Kansas City Wizards. That year, Dema Kovalenko became the first player sent off in an MLS Cup Final when he handled a ball on the goal line. Tony Sanneh scored goals in each of the first two MLS Cups, one of only two players in MLS Cup Final history to score in back-to-back finals (along with New England's Taylor Twellman)

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Donovan has won three MLS Cups, one of 10 players with as many as three MLS Cup rings. Donovan was also named the MLS Cup MVP in 2003, joining Alecko Eskandarian as winner of the honor, when he won the next year.

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The Los Angeles Galaxy finished with 33 points in 2008, tied for last place in the Western Conference, then ended up atop the West in 2009 with 48 points, one of four teams that have gone worst to first in MLS history, finishing at the bottom of a conference one year then winning it the next. The New England Revolution were the last to do it, in 2005 - also reaching the MLS Cup Final (where they lost to the LA Galaxy). The Kansas City Wizards did it in 2000 - also playing (and winning) MLS Cup, while the MetroStars performed the feat as well.

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The Galaxy's defensive turnaround - from 62 goals conceded in 2008 to 31 allowed in 2009 - was the biggest in league history. The Kansas City Wizards allowed 53 goals in 1999, then allowed just 29 goals in 2000.

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So far in the MLS Cup Playoffs, 13 different players have started for the LA Galaxy. Midfielder Chris Birchall started the first game vs. Chivas USA but was then struck down by illness; Chris Klein started in his place in the second leg of the conference semifinals and the conference championship. After starting both games against Chivas USA, Todd Dunivant was also ill for the conference final, and replaced by rookie A.J. DeLaGarza.

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Real Salt Lake also used 13 different starters in their three postseason matches. Tony Beltran started at fullback in the first semifinal series match vs. the Columbus Crew; the spot has been filled by Robbie Russell for the last two games. After coming off the bench for Fabian Espindola for the first two games, Yura Movsisyan started in his place in the conference final vs. Chicago, with Espindola coming on in his place.

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The Galaxy have not conceded a goal in 250 minutes of playoff action, since Maykel Galindo's goal for Chivas USA in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series. It's the 11th longest in MLS history and the fifth-longest in Galaxy club history; they will move on to 10th all-time with six scoreless minutes, surpassing the Galaxy's scoreless run in 1999. The all-time record is 374 minutes by the New England Revolution in 2002.

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Landon Donovan, the winner of the 2009 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player award, is the sixth league MVP to play in the MLS Cup Final in that same season, and the second in a row. Guillermo Barros Schelotto of Columbus lifted the Cup last year, as did Tony Meola (Kansas City) in 2000 and Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles) in 2002. Two MVPs have lost in MLS Cup: Marco Etcheverry (D.C. United) in 1998 and Taylor Twellman (New England) in 2005.

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Landon Donovan has the chance to join a very select group with a fourth MLS Cup victory. Jeff Agoos, who won five championships (DC: 1996, 1997, 1999; SJ: 2001, 2003) leads the way; Donovan would join Jaime Moreno (DC: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004) and Dwayne De Rosario (SJ 2001, 2003; HOU 2006, 2007) as the only other four-time winners. Donovan is currently among a group of seven 3-time winners (Marco Etcheverry, Pat Onstad, Eddie Robinson, Richard Mulrooney, Wade Barrett, Craig Waibel).

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During the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs, Landon Donovan converted both penalty kicks he took, the first two he has taken in the postseason in his career. For his regular season career in MLS, Donovan has converted 19 of the 21 penalties he has taken - a 90.5% success rate, the best in league history and well above the all-time average of 75.7%. The only two goalkeepers to stop Donovan from the spot in MLS? Current RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who did it in 2007, and RSL goalkeeper coach Jeff Cassar, who did it with FC Dallas in 2004.

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David Beckham has faced Real Salt Lake just once in his MLS career - and it was a game to remember. He scored two world-class goals May 3, 2008 to bring the Galaxy back for a 2-2 draw, the only time in his 44 league and cup appearances for the Galaxy he's scored two goals. Beckham did not play in either Galaxy-Real game in the 2009 regular season.

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Each team had a number of players represent their countries during the 2009 season. Landon Donovan was a regular for the USA in World Cup qualifying, and also played in the FIFA Confederations Cup. David Beckham added to his historic England caps total, while Chris Birchall represented Trinidad & Tobago and Donovan Ricketts played for Jamaica during the year. Kyle Beckerman was a part of the U.S. squad in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Will Johnson played for Canada and Jean Alexandre played for Haiti in the continental championship. Andy Williams also represented his homeland of Jamaica.