SEATTLE — The image most expected of David Beckham and Landon Donovan holding the championship of Major League Soccer for the league’s marquee franchise will wait.
Those upstarts from Real Salt Lake outlasted the stars from Los Angeles.
Robbie Russell scored in the seventh round of penalty kicks, and the scrappy underdogs from RSL beat the star-studded Galaxy 5-4 on penalty kicks Sunday night for their first MLS title.
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando made two saves during penalties, and Donovan, the Galaxy’s sure- footed league MVP, missed badly over the crossbar to give RSL a chance.
“I just put it in the air,” Donovan said.
After Rimando smothered Edson Buddle’s shot, Russell beat backup Los Angeles keeper Josh Saunders into the lower left corner to set off a wild celebration.
“It’s Russian roulette,” Beckham said of the penalties. “It’s not a nice way to go out. It’s just the way it is.”
Robbie Findley scored in the 64th minute to pull RSL even at 1 after Mike Magee gave Los Angeles the lead in the 41st minute off a perfect cross by Donovan.
It was the second straight shootout victory for Salt Lake, which beat Chicago 5-4 on penalties last week in the Eastern Conference championship.
Rimando made three saves in the penalty shootout against the Fire, and the game MVP came up big again in front of 46,011 fans, the fourth-largest crowd for an MLS Cup.
Real Salt Lake 0 1 — 1
Los Angeles 1 0 — 1 First half — 1, Los Angeles, Magee 3 (Donovan, Beckham), 41st minute. Second half — 2, Real Salt Lake, Findley 13, 64th.
Goalies — Real Salt Lake, Nick Rimando; Los Angeles, Donovan Ricketts.
Yellow cards — Johnson, Real Salt Lake, 14th; Birchall, Los Angeles, 39th.
Referee — Kevin Stott. Assistant referees — C.J. Morgante. Robert Fereday. 4th official — Baldomero Toledo. A — 46,011 (32,400)
