Editorial: Looking Back On MLS Cup 2013 (VIDEO)

Season’s Greetings from the MLS Multiplex, here on the FanSided Network. We continue our look back at the past 19 MLS Cup finals with reflections on the 2013 MLS Cup Final between Jason Kreis’s Real Salt Lake and Peter Vermes’s Sporting Kansas City. Tomorrow, on Boxing Day, I will give you my personal recollections on MLS Cup 2014.

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A number of changes were on the way for the league. Sporting Kansas City’s home pitch was named Sporting Park and Ivy Funds was their first-ever jersey sponsor. FC Dallas renamed their stadium to Toyota Stadium after reaching a long-term agreement. Dell Loy Hansen claimed ownership of Real Salt Lake, while Anthony Precourt became the new oenwe of the Columbus Crew. And Chivas USA would experience a sharp decline in its relevance, with three managers in one year, including preseason.

At Sporting Kansas City, there was relative stability under Peter Vermes. Sporting finished with a record of 17-10-7 (58 points), one point behind Mike Petke’s New York Red Bulls for the Supporters’ Shield and the best record in the Eastern Conference. Notable players for Sporting in 2013 included current OKC Energy FC gaffer Jimmy Nielsen at goalkeeper; defenders Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic, Lawrence Olum and Aurelien Collin; midfielders Benny Feilhaber, Graham Zusi, Paulo Nagamura and Oriol Rosell; and forwards Dom Dwyer, Soony Saad, C.J. Sapong, Claudio Bieler and Teal Bunbury (now with the New England Revolution).

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In the Eastern Conference semifinals, Sporting defeated the Revolution 4-3 on aggregate. The first leg at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. was a 2-1 defeat, Collin the only goalscorer in the 69th minute. In the second leg at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., goals from Collin (41′) and Sinovic (79′) forced extra time and winner from Bieler in the 113th minute of play.

The Eastern Conference Championship saw Sporting face Dominic Kinnear’s Houston Dynamo. In two years’ time, both teams would move to the MLS Western Conference. The first leg at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Tex. was a scoreless draw, setting the stage for the second leg at Sporting Park and a 2-1 win. Sapong (14′) and Dwyer (63′) were able to see the hosts through and host the MLS Cup final against Real Salt Lake.

RSL, under now-New York City FC boss Jason Kreis, finished the regular season with a record of 16-10-8 (56 points), good for second place in the Western Conference behind Caleb Porter’s Portland Timbers. Real Salt Lake were led by goalkeeper Nick Rimando; defenders Tony Beltran, Nat Borchers (now with Portland), Chris Wingert and Chris Schuler; midfielders Javier Morales, Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabavoy and Luis Gil; and forwards Alvaro Saborio and Joao Plata.

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Real Salt Lake opened up the postseason with a Western Conference semifinal tilt against the Los Angeles Galaxy. After dropping the first leg 1-0 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., RSL bounced back in the second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. with a 2-0 win on goals from Sebastian Velazquez (35′) and Schuler (102′) en route to a 2-1 win on aggregate.

In the Western Conference Championship, Real Salt Lake took on the top-seeded Portland Timbers. The first leg saw RSL run away with a 4-2 smashing of Portland on goals from Schuler (35′), Robbie Findley (41′), Devon Sandoval (48′) and Morales (82′). Findley scored in the 29th minute of the second leg at Providence Park (then known as Jeld-Wen Field) in Portland, Ore. but by then, it was pretty much academic as RSL won 5-2 on aggregate.

MLS Cup 2013 was held on a cold afternoon at Sporting Park on Dec. 7, 2013. Saborio gave Real Salt Lake an early lead in the 52nd minute, but Collin equalized in the 76th minute for a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes. A lengthy penalty shootout, which is relived through the MLS Insider clip below, saw Sporting Kansas City win their second-ever MLS Cup by the score of 7-6.