Transformation of RSL into champion is complete

Seattle » The last stray flakes of glittering confetti were still fluttering down toward the field when Real Salt Lake president Bill Manning started up the tunnel toward the locker room, a terrific smile stuck to his face.

"No more lovable losers," he said.

No, not even close.

By winning its first MLS Cup championship in a dramatic shootout, RSL assured itself an honored place in Major League Soccer history. It was one of the most unlikely champions, but a champion just the same. Hundreds of fans welcomed the team home from its trip Monday, and a parade celebrating the first pro sports championship in Utah in nearly 40 years is planned today at 5 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium.

"Nobody can ever take this away from us," defender Chris Wingert said.

Not that anybody could even try, after the way RSL outplayed the star-studded Los Angeles Galaxy after halftime at Qwest Field on Sunday night to complete a magical run through the playoffs.

Forward Robbie Findley scored an equalizing goal in the 64th minute -- his 15th of the season, including the playoffs -- and goalkeeper Nick Rimando once again made crucial saves in the penalty-kick shootout.

Once Rimando saved a poorly taken try by the Galaxy's Edson Buddle in the seventh round of the shootout, defender Robbie Russell fired the winner past backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders and the party erupted in front of 46,011 roaring fans, many of them having made the trip from Utah. Russell had never scored a goal in MLS.

"We could have won this in regulation," Rimando said. "We were that good in the second half."

Even the Galaxy knew it, with superstar David Beckham saying RSL "deserved to win" and league most valuable player Landon Donovan -- whose stunning shootout miss was only the third of his career, and the first that he failed to put on frame -- saying the team did "a good job moving the ball and putting us under pressure."

"Congratulations to Real Salt Lake," coach Bruce Arena of the Galaxy said.

Once among the weakest teams in the league, RSL now can enjoy a measure of legitimacy like no other, having beaten what many perceived as the unstoppable opponent in prime time on national television. Ticket sales are sure to surge, and expectations probably will take a major leap forward along with them.

"It was outstanding fan support," coach Jason Kreis said. "I was walking down by the fish market [before the game] and I must have seen 100 Real Salt Lake fans and maybe five Galaxy fans. So I think that was an indication of how well supported we were and how important it is to the people of Salt Lake City."

The coach credited his players with turning their mediocre season around during an 18-day layoff near the end of the regular season, by switching formations from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 and changing their mentality.

The team then won two of its last three regular-season games to sneak into the playoffs, where it swept through like a whirlwind, winning four straight games against three teams each armed with superstar designated players, the last two in penalty kicks.

"It was their willingness to take on the message that we gave to them over that 18 days whereby we said it hasn't been good enough," Kreis said. "We believe that you guys are good, and what you've done up to this point, quite frankly, is unacceptable. Now it's time for you guys to hold your hands up and be better, and they took that on full throttle and have been fantastic for me ever since."

mcl@sltrib.com