Cinderella will wear claret and cobalt to Sunday night's MLS Championship Ball. But will Real Salt Lake bring home the prize or does the fairy tale evaporate-- poof! -- in the damp Northwest night?

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando could be the prince-turned-king. Although he gives up more than seven inches in height to his Galaxy counterpart (Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts), his play in the past month has been true to his penchant for coming up huge in clutch situations.

I wouldn't bet against him.

Perhaps Kyle Beckerman will be the swashbuckler who escapes in the night with the Galaxy's head and pride on end of his sword. Along with fresh-faced sidekick Will Johnson, he has the responsibility of slaying LA's vaunted two-headed monster -- America's best player, Landon Donovan, and the world's most famous one, David Beckham.

Or, if the game follows the pattern of tense one-goal finals, a veteran defender like Nat Borchers or Gregg Berhalter could very well be the hero -- or the goat.

I vote none of the above. I think this game will open up.

The speed of Donovan, juxtaposed with RSL's Robbie Findley, will stretch two tense, tired units.

Let's hope this party features wave after wave of exciting attacks -- with multiple balls in the back of the net -- not a repeat of the scoreless conference finals that each team parlayed into extra time glory.

It's the battle that fans, not the coaches, want to see.

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We want gifted crosses from the likes of Beckham, Eddie Lewis, Andy Williams and Javier Morales to find their way to the feet or head of talismanic forwards who actually finish with success.

Speaking of Morales, expect a boomerang effect to boost him and his Argentine countryman, Fabian Espindola. Neither could have been lower after choking on penalty kicks last weekend, only to be rescued by Rimando.

Both will play like they appreciate the second lease on life.

If fate is on its side, RSL will emerge victorious Sunday in a game that resembles 2003 (a 4-2 San Jose win) or 2004 (a 3-2 DC United win).

If all goes wrong from the outset, expect a repeat of last year's final -- when an overmatched No. 4 seed, the Red Bulls, never had a chance in a dreary two-goal defeat.

The Galaxy are prohibitive favorites but should be so. They should be sky-high after their remarkable turnaround under Bruce Arena this season.

They have the edge of experience as Ricketts, Donovan, Berhalter, Beckham, Lewis, Chris Klein, Tony Sanneh and others have played on stages at least this large many times in their decorated careers.

RSL will counter with defiance -- from its coach who never made it this far in his historic playing career to Clint Mathis, who would like nothing more than to cap a topsy-turvy decade in soccer by vanquishing his former teammates.

My crystal ball says that when the clock strikes 90 minutes, the Galaxy leads.

Given Cinderella's fantasy finishes, the outcome will still be in doubt.

STEVE PASTORINO is the former general manager for Real Salt Lake and an occasional contributor to The Salt Lake Tribune on soccer. He welcomes your comments at pasto.ink@comcast.net.