SANDY, Utah (Saturday, August 24, 2019) – Real Salt Lake will honor the 2009 MLS Cup championship-winning team on Wednesday, September 25 at Rio Tinto Stadium when the club hosts the LA Galaxy, against whom RSL won the state’s first professional sports title in 2009. Players and coaches from that historic night in club history will be on hand for the ceremony and RSL legend Javier Morales will be recognized at halftime when his name is placed in the rafters at Rio Tinto Stadium alongside former head coach and RSL original Jason Kreis.
In 2009, Real Salt Lake made a Cinderella run to the championship match, finishing the season 11-12-7 to finish fifth in the Western Conference. Under the postseason structure at the time, RSL was shifted to the Eastern Conference, meeting the Supporters’ Shield-winning Columbus Crew in a two-leg series, with RSL upsetting the defending MLS Cup champions 4-2. In the Eastern Conference Championship, it took a shootout, but RSL ousted the Chicago Fire to reach the MLS Cup title match against Landon Donovan, David Beckham and the LA Galaxy. Played on November 22, 2009, at a neutral site at Qwest Field in Seattle (now CenturyLink Field), 46,011 fans were in attendance as Robbie Findley scored a second-half goal to equalize after a first-half goal from LA’s Mike Magee, sending the title match to yet another penalty-kick shootout. There, GK Nick Rimando saved two attempts by the Galaxy and Donovan missed on his attempt, setting up Robbie Russell for the decisive attempt, scoring and turning and coming to his knees in celebration as his teammates swarmed.
In recognition of the historic championship, current RSL players Rimando, MF Kyle Beckerman and DF Tony Beltran will be joined by Real Monarchs Interim Head Coach Jamison Olave, RSL Head Scout Andy Williams as well as players and coaches from the most pivotal match in club history, including Kreis and Morales, for a two-day celebration that will conclude with the team being honored on the field prior to RSL’s match against the LA Galaxy.
Further details will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
