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.

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.

Sure, he induced some winces when he twice referred to the team as “Salt Lake Real." And he sounded more than a little mistaken — perhaps he simply misspoke — when he wondered, "how many times has a team from Utah played for a championship?"

"In my 56 years, I think there may have been a questionable ABA deal," he said. "But the Jazz have never got there."

In the end, though, his massive investment — probably around $52 million, a figure team officials did not dispute — will allow majority owner Dave Checketts to pay down “substantial debt,” put some finishing touches on the stadium and build a practice field within blocks of Rio Tinto. All things that figure to make the team stronger in the long run; Checketts promised to keep all of the proceeds of the transaction within the RSL company.

“Real will be a stronger, better, championship franchise — I believe — because Dave invited me in to help him,” Hansen said.

That invitation, incidentally, came during a fund-raiser for Sandy mayor Tom Dolan that Checketts held, as part of a party to watch the United States play a qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Seated with Checketts and Michael Eisner, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Hansen said he listened to Checketts try to interest Eisner in buying a piece of the team.

“You really can't treat me like chopped liver,” Hansen recalled thinking. “I'm sitting right by this conversation! So they lean over and say, 'Maybe you'd like a piece.' I says, 'Yeah, I think I would.' And over the next eight weeks, I was just a little quicker to the punch than Michael Eisner.”

However it worked out, Hansen also happily noted that he has yet to see the team lose, having started attending games only since RSL began the stunning four-game winning streak that earned it a shot at the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Cup final. He urged the team not to change that now.

“You just couldn't have picked a more magical time,” he said.