SANDY, Utah - Despite a season that saw the team finish runners-up in the Western Conference, advance to the U.S. Open Cup Final and qualify for Saturday’s MLS Cup 2013 at Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake had no players named to MLS Best XI on Tuesday.
RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando, Captain Kyle Beckerman and midfielder Javier Morales were the Claret-and-Cobalt’s top-three Best XI candidates. Sadly, all three were shutout, with Rimando edged out by Portland ‘keeper Donovan Ricketts and Beckerman and Morales unable to crack a midfield featuring Portland’s Will Johnson and Diego Valeri, New York’s Tim Cahill and Kansas City's Graham Zusi.
The full MLS Best XI is listed below:
Goalkeeper: Donovan Ricketts (Portland)
Defenders: Jose Goncalves (New England), Omar Gonzalez (LA), Matt Besler (Kansas City)
Midfielders: Will Johnson (Portland), Graham Zusi (Kansas City), Diego Valeri (Portland), Tim Cahill (New York)
Forwards: Mike Magee (Chicago), Robbie Keane (LA), Marco Di Vaio (Montreal)
Real Salt Lake will have a chance to prove that it has the Best XI in all of MLS on Saturday, when it will take on Sporting Kansas City at MLS Cup 2013 at Sporting Park.
