Real Salt Lake

Welcome to Game Day!

And while it has been hard to find anybody who's favoring RSL to beat the Los Angeles Galaxy for the MLS Cup title at Qwest Field this evening, there is at least one voice in the wilderness that has flat-out called an RSL victory.

“There's more than enough … to suggest RSL will lift its first trophy and confound just about everyone by halting the Galaxy's coronation,” columnist Kyle McCarthy wrote on Goal.com.

Of course, predictions like that won't give RSL much ammunition in its us-against-the-world outlook, but it does suggest that its “team is the star” motto should at least be taken seriously — especially when there seems to be increasing concern over the ankle injury with which the Galaxy's David Beckham is dealing.

Coach Bruce Arena insisted his star player will be “fine,” but reporters have been abuzz about the ankle brace he was seen wearing. And with the artificial turf expected to be wet after the rain today, it's fair to wonder whether Beckham will be able to get quite his usual touch on his crosses and free kicks.

Still, most RSL players haven't heard much support among the so-called experts, even if their fans have been far more prominent around town this week. When we asked forward Yura Movsisyan whether he had heard about anybody picking RSL to win, he replied:

“Yeah, my dad.”

Actor and game-show host Drew Carey still owns season-tickets to the Los Angeles Galaxy's games, but joked that the team is “dead to me,” now that he has become part-owner of the Seattle Sounders.

And though he didn't say it, he sounded like he's expecting an RSL victory in the MLS Cup on Sunday. He talked about how RSL has more motivation because of the perception that it's the underdog, and how much he "loves" one of those — even if he would have enjoyed seeing the Galaxy make a title run last year, before he had changed allegiances. He said he expects a good game, and doubts the Galaxy can simply roll over RSL.

“Don't count Real Salt Lake out, by any means,” he said.

Carey said that he keeps his tickets and luxury suite at the Home Depot Center mostly for his friends to use, and joked that his connection to the Galaxy now consists of merely a “nodding relationship” like the kind he might share with an old girlfriend or ex-wife.

The Galaxy's Landon Donovan has been complimentary of RSL so far, but also insistent that his team can do what it takes to stop the unlikely MLS Cup finalist.

The forwards and midfield are “the strength of their team,” Donovan said. “When they get the ball and get moving and they're active and they have good rhythm, they're a very difficult team to beat. Our intention is not to let them do that.

“We're going to make it difficult on them,” he promised. “I think they've had it in some of their games a little bit too easy to do those things. We're going to make it difficult, and then we think that we've got enough quality on our team to make the plays that could to win us the game.”

So RSL co-opted a popular Seattle Sounders bar to use as its headquarters and perhaps lure some local fans into cheering for it during the MLS Cup title game at Qwest Field on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Galaxy had their own tactics.

The Galaxy bought a half-page advertisement in The Seattle Times today, congratulating the Sounders on their success in their inaugural season and flat out asking for their fans' support against RSL on Sunday.

“While we understand your devotion to the Sounders, we are hoping if just for Sunday, you can make the Los Angeles Galaxy your second favorite team in MLS,” part of it read.

It was signed by superstars Landon Donovan and David Beckham, as well as coach Bruce Arena. “This is, in my opinion, a perfect place to have a game like this,” Donovan said later at a press conference.

Incidentally, we already saw a few decked-out RSL fans lingering around the Pike Place Market this afternoon, and many of the bars in the stadium district are advertising in connection with the MLS Cup. Oh, and as if we needed more proof of how much they like their soccer here in Seattle, the guys on a local sports radio station were having a legitimate conversation today about the uncalled Thierry Henry handball that landed France in the 2010 World Cup. Imagine that in Salt Lake City?

But still, forward Fabian Espindola is surely among the happiest people to be here for MLS Cup — that's coach Sigi Schmid and technical director Chris Henderson of the Seattle Sounders carrying the trophy off a ferry here, in the photo from The Seattle Times — considering he was in jeopardy of costing RSL its victory over Chicago last weekend when he shot high on a penalty kick that would have won the game.

“I know the goalkeeper is going to move,” Espindola recalled earlier this week. “I was trying to go just right in the middle” with his penalty kick. But he inadvertently hit the ball too low, sending it high over the crossbar.

“It was bad,” he acknowledged.

Of course, goalkeeper Nick Rimando made another great save, allowing midfielder Ned Grabavoy to fire home the winning penalty and send RSL to its first title game. Espindola “should be taking Nick out to dinner every day for the rest of the year,” team owner Dave Checketts joked.

Meanwhile, coach Jason Kreis soon will put the players through their first workout at Qwest Field, before they and the Galaxy participate in pre-game press conferences at the stadium. Later, backup goalkeeper Chris Seitz is scheduled to be part of the popular “fish toss” with vendors at the famous Pike Place Market.