RSL faithful brave cold to honor champs

Governor among those on hand to celebrate MLS Cup run

"We're so excited that they won," exclaimed Sara Carlin, who lined up early at the stadium with her entire family to get the best view of the event. "I was sitting on the edge of my chair just freaking out."

And while the fans came out to pay tribute to the team, the team came out for the exact opposite reason: to pay tribute to the fans that have stuck with them through thick and thin.

"Seeing these fans means the world to us -- it really does," said RSL defender Tony Beltran. "We're nothing without the fans. Their support drives us. They carried us through the season. It was really special having them here."

The die-hard support is not unexpected from the members of The Royal Army. Several thousand fans made the trip to Seattle for MLS Cup and hundreds lined up at the airport to welcome the team when they arrived home, not to mention that so many braved a cold winter night to salute their heroes. For as much as RSL's players respected and loved their fans before, the respect and love from the team have gone up another notch thanks to the showing in Seattle and Tuesday's celebration.

"It absolutely went up a level," said Beltran. "Everywhere we went [in Seattle] we saw Real Salt Lake fans. It gave us a big confidence boost to know that they were behind us."

The evening's festivities featured speeches by coaches, players, and local leaders, the presentation of the three cups won by RSL this season (the Rocky Mountain Cup, the Eastern Conference Championship trophy, and the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy), video highlights from the season, and several spontaneous chants from the hordes of fans.

But perhaps the most fitting moment of the night was at the end of the ceremony when the RSL players themselves placed the MLS champions banner over the tunnel leading to the locker room. After so much hard work and struggle throughout the season, it was an emotional night for everyone.

"It was so incredible, it's hard to put into words," said Real head coach Jason Kreis. "To have that kind of support from everyone all day is magical ... really, really special."

While the night was partly dedicated to the work over the past year, everyone from team chairman Dave Checketts down to the individual players were mindful of the future and their goals for the upcoming years. Checketts drew the biggest cheers of the night when he spoke of not settling for the one championship, but being a regular force in Major League Soccer.

"As Mr. Checketts said, we've won one, now let's build a dynasty," said Beltran. "That statement right there is enough to drive us."

"I hope that we've learned something about ourselves this year," said Kreis. "We can't afford to be overconfident [next year]. We can't afford to rest."

Whether Real Salt Lake have what it takes to repeat in a league that's notoriously difficult to dominate remains to be seen. But the immediate benefits of winning this single MLS Cup cannot be denied. Utah is a state that craves championships, and RSL is the first professional team in Utah to win a championship in 38 years.

"Based on what I've seen today, with the win I think we've permanently changed the landscape," said general manager Garth Lagerwey. "We've won a championship. It's a big deal. It's a game-changer."

Nowhere was that more evident than after the evening's festivities. After fans had their pictures taken with the Anschutz Trophy and their favorite players, a steady line formed to buy new season tickets. More than a few were fans who, up until a few weeks or even days ago, had never watched a professional soccer match.

But for fans like the Carlin family, who have been with Real since the beginning and stuck with the team through the tough times, the celebration was the final act of redemption that justified five years of faith in their beloved RSL.

"We came to the very first game," they said. "And just being able to share the event with the players and the coaches was the best part of the night."

Jeremy Horton is a contributor to MLSnet.com.

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