[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[Senate]
[Pages 29112-29113]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING REAL SALT LAKE SOCCER TEAM

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise and offer my congratulations to the 
Real Salt Lake soccer team, the newly crowned champions of Major League 
Soccer. While Utah has a number of sports teams with proud traditions--
both collegiate and professional--Real Salt Lake has brought to my home 
State its first major professional championship since 1971, when the 
Utah Stars won the ABA title. Fans throughout Utah are thrilled.
  Real Salt Lake came to Utah in 2004 and faced difficulties during its 
first three seasons. In just its fourth season, however, Real Salt Lake 
made an improbable run to the Western Conference Finals, despite only 
sneaking into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. They 
eventually lost that game by a score of 1-0, but with their first 
playoff appearance, and opening their new world class soccer-specific 
stadium, their future was filled with promising signs.
  In 2009 Real Salt Lake delivered on that promise. Once again, it was 
the last team to qualify for the playoffs and was the lowest overall 
seed. Despite barely squeaking into the playoffs, this team of 
overachievers sure made some noise once they got there. They quickly 
reeled off a string of consecutive upsets against glitzier opponents 
with established stars, dispatching top-seeded and defending MLS 
champion Columbus and then powerhouse Chicago and its star Cuauhtemoc 
Blanco.
  On November 22, the title game in Seattle pitted the little-known 
upstarts of Real Salt Lake against the Western Conference champions, 
the Los Angeles Galaxy and its mega-stars Landon Donovan and David 
Beckham. After 90 minutes of regulation play and 30 minutes of 
overtime, the game remained tied at 1-1. In the penalty kick shootout, 
Real Salt Lake emerged victorious 5-4 as Donovan's potential game-tying 
spot kick sailed harmlessly over the crossbar. Real Salt Lake had 
delivered the first championship of its kind in Utah in nearly four 
decades--and it couldn't have come in a more exciting fashion or to a 
more deserving group of athletes.
  In the end, it wasn't the Galaxy of stars that prevailed; it was Real 
Salt Lake with its philosophy that mirrors the words emblazoned on the 
sign in its home locker room: ``THE TEAM IS THE STAR.'' That teamwork 
was certainly on display in the title tilt against Los Angeles. It was 
reflected in Real Salt Lake Robbie Findley's breakout 64th-minute 
strike that knotted the score at 1-1 and made the team's overtime and 
penalty kick heroics possible. It was reflected in the play of Salt 
Lake goalkeeper and Cup final MVP Nick Rimando, who turned away 
penalties from L.A.'s Jovan Kirovski and Edson Buddle before besting 
Donovan. Finally, RSL's determination to overcome the odds also mirrors 
that of its owner, Dave Checketts, coach Jason Kreis and general 
manager Garth Lagerwey--all of whom turned the team into a champion 
despite the naysayers who said it couldn't be done.
  No, Real Salt Lake's roster did not have the league's biggest stars. 
But in the words of midfielder Clint Mathis, better known as Cletus, 
RSL was ``the better team in every game.'' As much as anything else, 
that explains why champion Real Salt Lake is now the brightest light in 
MSL's firmament.
  Once again, I congratulate Real Salt Lake on this accomplishment. 
Senator Bennett and I have introduced a resolution expressing the 
Senate's congratulations for Real Salt Lake and I urge my colleagues to 
offer their support.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I wish to commend and congratulate Real 
Salt Lake for winning the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup. I am delighted 
to

[[Page 29113]]

do so, and feel it is a privilege to honor the MLS Cup champions on the 
Senate floor. The story of Real Salt Lake is more than just a story 
about a soccer team capturing the MLS title; it is a story about 
banding together to overcome obstacles and defying the odds after being 
counted out and dismissed by ``the experts.'' In many ways, the story 
of Real Salt Lake is part and parcel of the American experience.
  On November 22, 2009, in Seattle, WA, Real Salt Lake, or RSL, faced 
off against the better-known and widely acclaimed L.A. Galaxy. Just to 
give a sense of what RSL was up against, listed on the roster for the 
Galaxy were U.S. National Team star Landon Donovan, and the 
internationally acclaimed, indeed iconic, David Beckham. The RSL 
roster, on the other hand, didn't include what's known as a 
``designated player,'' or in other words, a recognized superstar. If 
that wasn't enough, the Galaxy entered the postseason riding high, 
having finished at the top of the Western Conference in the regular 
season with a 12-6-12 record, and were expected by most to perform well 
if not to win the championship. RSL had a far different experience 
during their regular season, finishing with an 11-12-7 record. Indeed, 
they barely managed to make it into the eight team playoff that would 
determine the MLS Cup Champion.
  Considering these facts, it would have been easy for RSL to give up. 
But that wasn't their attitude. When asked about not having a star 
player, instead of bemoaning that fact, the team's captain, Kyle 
Beckerman, said, ``We've really bought into the `star is the team' here 
in Salt Lake. When we work as a team and [are] doing well it's because 
everybody's playing well. It pays off.'' This team unity had initially 
paid off in the postseason for RSL as they defeated the defending 
champion Columbus Crew, and beat the Chicago Fire in the Eastern 
Conference finals. Despite this, many doubted whether they could win 
against the Galaxy in the championship game. When asked about their 
chances, head coach Jason Kreis sarcastically replied, ``Wow, it sounds 
like we better not even go. We don't even have a chance, do we?'' He 
knew RSL possessed something special.
  Even in the final match, such outspoken optimism would be tested. By 
halftime, RSL was trailing 1-0. Two of their key players were unable to 
continue playing, sidelined by injury and illness. If ever there was a 
time to give up, it seemed that this was it. But that wasn't their 
attitude. Coach Kreis made a pair of substitutions, and encouraged his 
players to ``be confident,'' and play aggressive. And, well you can see 
where this is going. After 90 minutes of play, 30 minutes of overtime, 
and seven rounds of penalty kicks that included two blocked shots by 
RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando, defender Robbie Russell converted the 
final penalty kick to seal the victory, establishing RSL as the 
champions of Major League Soccer.
  Now I wish to place this victory into some context. This was 
significant for Utah in that it was the first professional sports crown 
to go to the State of Utah since the Utah Stars basketball team won the 
American Basketball Association title back in 1971. RSL's victory was 
notable not only because Jason Kreis, at the age of 36, became the 
youngest manager in MLS history to lead his team to the title, but also 
because RSL became the first franchise in professional sports history 
to win a championship after finishing the regular season without a 
winning record. Think about that for a minute--if there is ever a 
reason to dismiss a team, a losing record in the regular season should 
be it. But that wasn't RSL's attitude. Rather than dwelling in self-
pity and regret, RSL fought on, determined to prove their detractors 
wrong. They believed they could beat the entire league, and they went 
out and did just that. Their story exemplifies the American values of 
hard work, resilience, and overcoming the odds.
  Once again, I congratulate RSL for their victory; I join with their 
fans in celebration of this championship; and I hope that this is one 
of many more championships to come for Utah.

                          ____________________