Mls Cup Tickets - Rsl Headed To 2009 Mls Cup

Ned Grabavoy scored the winning penalty kick and Real Salt Lake defeated the Chicago

Fire 5-4 on penalty kicks after 120 scoreless minutes in the Eastern Conference final. Get MLS Cup tickets and see Grabavoy score a goal.

Salt Lake sneaked into the playoffs by trumping the Colorado Rapids 3-0 on the last day of the regular season. RSL carried that momentum into the conference finals and Grabavoy emerged as the hero of the game. The midfielder recorded the game-winning penalty kick in the seventh round, when he fired a shot that went off the fingertips of Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch. RSL coach Jason Kreis told the press that the match was a special moment for his club.

Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando made critical saves throughout the match. He stopped six shots in overtime and made three huge saves in the shootout. RSL will meet the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Cup final on Nov. 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle. L.A. reached the championship match with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Nov. 13.

The Fire lost three straight conference finals. After the game, Chicago coach Denis Hamlett said he had an empty feeling in his stomach. The coach continued to say, "We worked hard and stuck together to get to this point and to lose the way we lost tonight; sometimes soccer is a cruel sport."

RSL forward Robbie Findley had an opportunity to end the game in the closing seconds of regulation when he drilled a shot from the top of the box, but the ball was cleared from the front of the net by John Thorrington. Chicago also had its chance to secure a win during regulation but failed to capitalize. Brian McBride saw his header ricochet off the crossbar in the 27th minute, and Marco Pappa's shot in the 67th minute was saved by a diving Rimando.

This was the first conference final to reach penalties since Rimando stopped two shots to lift D.C. United over New England in 2004. Rimando did not want to give away any secrets, but he stated that he felt comfortable in the net during the shootout. The goalkeeper mentioned that some of his teammates even said if the game came down to penalty kicks, they had one of the best goalkeepers in the league.

Kreis, who played 12 seasons with Dallas before coaching RSL, will make his first MLS Cup appearance. The coach said he felt fantastic. He also stated that he felt rewarded for all the hard work he put into coaching his club this season. RSL owner David Checketts stood by the inexperienced Kreis. The proud owner said he picked Kreis out as somebody who can coach the franchise. He acknowledged that Kreis "had something very special. What he had special, it turns out, is how much he cares about our franchise, and he's done some job this year." Kreis scored 108 goals when he played in the MLS. He's ranked fourth all-time in scoring.

by: Brent Warnken

POST COMMENT

Why Is Steel Scaffolding Important In Building Construction Boost Energy Levels Without Even Breaking A Sweat! by:Tim Webb How Night Vision Laser Sight Is Claiming The Advantage The #1 Gout Cure - Follow These Proven Methods Tri Cleanse Traci Bingham Free Trial - Tri Cleanse Review Comfortable And Cheap Work Uniforms For Your Employees Durable And Cheap Uniforms And Accessories Where There Is Change, There Is Opportunity Más Allá De Las Técnicas De Estudio Finding Toronto Spa Deals With Ease How to Step Up to Your Dreams in 2010 Atrial Fibrillation by:John Smith Daily Unveils Uhf Rfid Handheld Reader For Industrial Uses