Salt Lake defy odds to soar over Galaxy for MLS title
Published on Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 15:36 | Source : Reuters
Updated at Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 16:32
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Salt Lake defy odds to soar over Galaxy for MLS title
Major League Soccer's unlikely new champions Real Salt Lake defied the odds by lifting the title without a highly paid star player, glamorous stadium and after losing more games than they won in the regular season.
The unexpected win is a massive boost for the team's home city and the state of Utah, which has failed to produce national champions in any professional major league sport.
"Over the next couple of days we'll get another indicator of how important it is to Salt Lake City," said Kreis, who mixed with his team's fans earlier in the day in Seattle.
"I have a feeling that it's really, really important and a really big thing for Utah."
The team, not one player, was the focus at Real Salt Lake, said captain Kyle Beckerman, who is the closest the club has to a big-name player.
"We've really bought into 'the star is the team' here in Salt Lake," Beckerman said after the game.
"Coming in we were thinking we can win this game. If I could choose a team to play on, I'd play on this one."
Real Salt Lake's win marks the first silverware for veteran midfielder Clint Mathis, a former United States team player with club stints in Germany and Greece under his belt.
"What matters is having a gold medal and we are champions," Mathis said.
