Then Real midfielder Kyle Beckerman spoke and in three sentences summed up the position of a team that understands why it's being overlooked in favor of the big names that accompany the Galaxy.

"We came here to win. We think we can win. We don't really care who we're playing, who's on the other team," Beckerman said on Friday.

David Beckham, Landon Donovan, coach Bruce Arena and the general star power that comes with the Galaxy are dominating the attention ahead of the final. And it's important for Major League Soccer to have its marquee team playing in the championship.

But how these underdogs from Real Salt Lake got to the final might bring a more compelling story. And the role of overlooked upstarts is one they are fully embracing.

"Every finals you're going to have a top favorite and everyone else is the underdog," Real midfielder Andy Williams said. "But we're relishing that role and we'll take it in stride."

That these players find themselves playing for the league title two years after a major organizational overhaul required a remarkable confluence of dramatics on the final weekend of the season that saw Real slip into the playoffs as the last qualifier.

Real routed Colorado 3-0 to knock the Rapids from the playoffs, but still needed help a time zone away in Kansas City to get into the playoffs for a second straight year. They got that assistance when Kansas City scored a penalty in extra time for a 2-2 draw with D.C. United that eliminated United from the playoff picture and clinched Real's spot.

That fortunate bounce only started Real on its playoffs run. They eliminated defending champion Columbus with a stunning 3-2 road win after Real won just twice away from home during the regular season.

Then last week, Real fought Chicago for 120 scoreless minutes, then rallied from 3-1 down in the penalty shootout to stun the Fire 5-4 and advance to the final.

"A lot of people had the chance that we had, and we took our chance and the dominos fell into place for us," Williams said. "Once we got in we knew it was a brand new season and that's how we treated it."

Two seasons ago, Real was still a floundering expansion team trying to find its footing in the league. They won six games in 2007 and changed coaches early, sending away inaugural coach John Ellinger and asking Jason Kreis, the league's first 100-goal scorer, to retire and become coach.

The transformation to league contender has proved difficult at times. Before the 2008 season, Real made a massive roster overhaul as Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerwey tried to reform attitudes in the locker room.

"It was very, very difficult and as everybody knows there was not a lot of success in my first season as coach," Kreis said. "It was very, very difficult I found to change the mentality but raise the average level of player on our team. It meant wholesale changes."

The moves worked. Real has two straight playoff appearances and can bring the first professional sports championship to Utah since the Utah Stars won the ABA basketball title in 1971, even if very few outside Utah know about Real.

"We understand that they have some big stars on their team and of course the media is going to give them some hype, but that's fine by us," Real defender Chris Wingert said. "We're happy to be here, and we're worried about winning the game and if we win the game we'll get plenty of love."