Both the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake beat improbable odds to make it to MLS Cup 2009. When the season began, an MLS Cup run seemed like the longest of long shots for the LA Galaxy, coming off a last-place finish. For Real Salt Lake, even a mere playoff berth seemed unlikely entering the season's final week. And yet, one last-to-first turnaround and one remarkable playoff run later, here we are. So, who has "The Edge" in this battle of underdogs?
We break down both squads' goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards, then give "The Edge" at each position to one of the two sides before handing out the overall edge. Agree with us? Disagree? Cast your vote for each position and the overall matchup, then leave a comment at the bottom of the page with your thoughts.
Be sure to tune in on Sunday (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, Galavision) and catch all the action of MLS Cup 2009 live from Qwest Field in Seattle.
| Position |  |  | Edge | Fans' pick |
| Forwards | Landon Donovan and Mike Magee have alternated spending time up front and on the left wing, but both have been very effective in the postseason, regardless of position. The two also each scored an extra time goal in a wild 2-2 draw on May 6 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Edson Buddle, despite an injury-plagued season, is a dangerous scorer who cannot be ignored. | The Galaxy took criticism for trading a 21-year-old Robbie Findley to RSL back in 2007. Now, Findley has the ultimate opportunity to fuel that regret. Jason Kreis could again put Yura Movsisyan in his starting XI alongside Findley to best expose a backline whose weakness is speed. Fabian Espindola's playmaking ability, whether starting or off the bench, can never be discounted. |  | |
| Midfielders | It looked like Chris Klein's distinguished MLS career was winding down earlier this season, but the veteran has come back to life in the postseason with top-notch crossing on the right wing. Whoever is on the left wing between Donovan and Magee figures to keep Robbie Russell from pushing forward as frequently as he did against Chicago. And then, of course, there's David Beckham, who did not play in the clubs' prior two meetings. | The Real Salt Lake midfield is one of the most in-sync units of any club in the league. Individually, neither Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Will Johnson, Andy Williams nor Clint Mathis is as talented as Beckham or Donovan. Together, however, they form an imposing force of physicality and creativity, capable of dominating possession and attacking from anywhere on the pitch. |  | |
| Defenders | After a dicey performance in the first leg of their Conference Semifinal Series with Chivas USA, the Galaxy defense has been outstanding, pitching shutouts in both the second leg with Chivas and the Western Conference Championship. However, RSL's frontline, arguably the league's fastest, will pose a big challenge to Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez and company. | Jamison Olave got the better of Brian McBride in their matchup in the Eastern Conference Championship and remains the heart of the unit. Nat Borchers, however, made several mistakes that quicker players like Donovan and Magee could have punished him for. The Galaxy have gotten great service from the wings in the postseason, meaning Chris Wingert and whoever gets the nod between Robbie Russell and Tony Beltran will have to be at their best. |  | |
| Goalkeepers | The Houston Dynamo relentlessly attacked the goal for the better part of the Western Conference Championship, but through every electrical outage and dangerous chance, Donovan Ricketts was there to quiet the storm. His 0.60 goals-against-average this postseason is sterling. He did, however, allow four goals in two matches against RSL this season. | Nick Rimando was simply outstanding in the penalty-kick shootout against Chicago, making three remarkable saves. He's also in familiar territory, having been in goal when D.C. United when MLS Cup 2004. Having faced more shots and made more saves than anyone else this postseason, Rimando has quite simply been the best goalkeeper of the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs. |  | |
| Overall | Back on May 6, these two clubs played one of the wildest matches of the year, a 2-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium that featured three stoppage-time goals, scored by Donovan, Johnson and Magee. If that match was only an appetizer for MLS Cup 2009, we'll be in for a treat. RSL beat LA for a rare regular-season road win on June 13, though neither Donovan nor Beckham were in uniform for that match. LA fared better at Qwest Field this year, earning a 1-1 draw, while RSL struggled in a season-opening loss. So who has the edge in this one? Speed will play a big factor, particularly if Findley and Movsisyan keep Gonzalez and Berhalter turned around. But it will also be about who can maintain the most poise in a raucous, big match environment, and nobody in this match has more big match experience than Beckham and Donovan. |  | ||
