Photo by ISIphotos.com

Real Salt Lake's Will Johnson was the winner of the 2008 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year for his flick and volley in a must-win game against FC Dallas on Oct. 18, the league announced today. Johnson's goal received the most votes in online fan voting.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Two days have passed, heart rates have returned to normal and all remaining remnants of smoke bombs and nerve-racking suspense have faded into the memory banks, and Saturday's Western Conference final victory by the Red Bulls over Real Salt Lake still brings a chill as you think about a game not many will forget.

Here we stand, a day after one of the exciting, heart-stopping and unforgettable playoff games in MLS history and there are plenty of people, both Red Bulls fans and neutrals, who are still scratching their heads at the improbability of the Red Bulls earning a place in the MLS Cup final.

For the second straight playoff game, former Los Angeles Galaxy/San Jose/New York Red Bulls general manager Alexi Lalas went on ESPN and stated very confidently that the Red Bulls wouldn't have much of a chance and would lose in the MLS playoffs, first to Houston, and then to Real Salt Lake.

After 13 mostly disappointing and sometimes painful years of existence, the New York Red Bulls, the club formerly known as the MetroStars, are headed to the MLS Cup final for the first time in club history.

As you might expect, getting there was as far from easy as you could get.

Good evening everybody. I'm coming to you from Rio Tinto Stadium, where the New York Red Bulls are facing Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference final.

It's a frigid night in Utah and I can't help but get a sense of deja vu as a bitter cold grips a New York playoff game. It was eight years ago when I sat in an icy Soldier Field for the last (and only other) conference final appearance by this club, known then MetroStars.

Two teams, two painful pasts, one chance to wash them away with a trip to the MLS Cup final.

RSL and the Red Bulls meet tonight in the Western Conference final and one of them will have a chance to celebrate a victory their fans have suffered more than enough to experience.

For those looking for some pre-game reading material on the match, here are some suggestions:

Here is a Real Salt Lake preview and a nice piece on the connections between RSL and the Red Bulls from Michael C.

Photos by ISIphotos.com

When you consider all the scenarios that had to fall into place in order for Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls to meet in the Western Conference final this Saturday, you have to chalk it up to fate.

And then there were four.

After a weekend of clutch performances, and one historic upset, the final four teams are set for the MLS Conference finals. The Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire, the two best teams in the East this year, meet in the East final, while the underdog New York Red Bulls have crashed the Western Conference final, where they will meet fellow West final debutante Real Salt Lake.

The first berth into the Western Conference final will be won tonight when Chivas USA plays host to Real Salt Lake in game two of their first-round playoff series.

Real Salt Lake comes into the match having won the first leg, 1-0, and can now advance to the West final with a win or a tie tonight.

There was only one game-winning goal scored in the first round of the MLS playoffs this week. It was by none other than Real Salt Lake Yura Movsisyan.

The same man who scored the key equalizer in the regular season finale against Colorado to get Real Salt Lake into the playoffs ended today's playoff opener against Colorado with a stunning 90th-minute back-heel goal that has to be seen to be believed.

Good evening folks. The second series in the Western Conference playoffs has kicked off at Rio Tinto Stadium, with Real Salt Lake playing host to Chivas USA.

The game is already well under way (scoreless at halftime actually), but if you are watching please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Real Salt Lake is set to take on arch-rival Colorado tonight in a match that will see the winner clinch a playoff berth and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, as well as the first-round playoff meeting with Chivas USA that comes with it.

Real Salt Lake has never made the playoffs while the Rapids missed the post-season last year.

Two teams, one game, one playoff spot.

That is the easiest way to describe tonight's crucial showdown between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Real Salt Lake needs a win or draw to secure third place in the Western Conference while the Rapids must win the match in order to secure the same spot.

Two teams, one game, one playoff spot.

That is the easiest way to describe Saturday's crucial showdown between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Real Salt Lake needs a win or draw to secure third place in the Western Conference while the Rapids must win the match in order to secure the same spot.

Photos by ISIphotos.com

With a crisp and chilly breeze blowing at his back, Juan Carlos Osorio rubbed his hands together and revealed a big grin as he declared just how excited he is for tonight's match against Real Salt Lake.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Real Salt Lake forward Fabian Espindola is set to miss four to eight weeks with an ankle injury suffered in RSL's tie vs. Los Angeles on Saturday. The injury could have been much worse, but not much more embarrassing.

In a year when the Eastern Conference has owned its Western Conference counterparts in intra-conference player, Real Salt Lake has done its part to try and stem the imbalance.

After wins against New England and Columbus, RSL has added Toronto FC to its list of Eastern Conference conquests with its 2-1 victory on Monday.

It as ugly, but you can call the scoreless tie between the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake a fair result. It figured that no goals would be scored when the league's two toughest defense squared off, but seeing so many missed chances was still a bit puzzling.

With every league game ending in a tie, the Fire-RSL result kept RSL in first place in the West and kept Chicago in playoff position.

A red-hot Real Salt Lake rode its stingy defense to a shutout win against a strong Columbus squad to move into first place in the Western Conference.

Okay, I'll wait while everybody takes in that last sentence. And no, you aren't dreaming.

RSL is enjoying the best run of form in club history (and yes, I know that's not saying a lot) and now sits in first place in the extremely weak Western Conference.

Call it a coincidence but in the same week when former Houston forward Joseph Ngwenya was revealed to hav a trial with Bayern Munich, the Dynamo were once again struggling to score goal.

A third straight draw, and third scoreless draw of the season, was all the defending champions had to show for its Western Conference showdown vs.

Call it a coincidence but in the same week when former Houston forward Joseph Ngwenya was revealed to hav a trial with Bayern Munich, the Dynamo were once again struggling to score goal.

A third straight draw, and third scoreless draw of the season, was all the defending champions had to show for its Western Conference showdown vs.

The kid deserved better.

Tony Beltran is a rookie having himself a pretty good first season in MLS but he had to endure a fate that so many defenders have to endure, the cursed game-losing own goal.

Beltran's mistake snapped Real Salt Lake's record-setting unbeaten streak at five games while also giving new life to a Wizards team desperate for a win after going more than two months without one.

The kid deserved better.

Tony Beltran is a rookie having himself a pretty good first season in MLS but he had to endure a fate that so many defenders have to endure, the cursed game-losing own goal.

Beltran's mistake snapped Real Salt Lake's record-setting unbeaten streak at five games while also giving new life to a Wizards team desperate for a win after going more than two months without one.

Real Salt Lake can't lose.

Stop rubbing your eyes. You really did just read that first sentence correctly. Real Salt Lake is unbeaten in five games and looking like a real challenger for a playoff spot in the wide-open Western Conference.

If RSL needed a signature win to show it is for real, that win came on Saturday against a New England team that hadn't lost in seven matches.

For as long as they have been in MLS, there has never been a D in Real Salt Lake. Not literally or figuratively. Things seem to be changing.

RSL has posted three straight shutouts and has allowed just one goal in four matches, the kind of stingy defending we're not used to seeing from the boys from Utah.

What happened to Chivas USA? After rattling off three straight wins, the Goats had the look of the team that finished first in the regular season. Now, after two straight shutout losses, Chivas USA is reeling again.

Real Salt Lake knows all about bad streaks, but RSL is currently riding a pretty good one.

There are exciting 0-0 ties, like USA-Argentina, and then there are scoreless draws like Real Salt Lake-Kansas City Wizards.

It wasn't pretty, and fans probably didn't leave Rice-Eccles excited about a match they'll remember for a long time, but the result was a fair one for two teams struggling to find consistency and keep pace with the league's better teams.

There are exciting 0-0 ties, like USA-Argentina, and then there are scoreless draws like Real Salt Lake-Kansas City Wizards.

It wasn't pretty, and fans probably didn't leave Rice-Eccles excited about a match they'll remember for a long time, but the result was a fair one for two teams struggling to find consistency and keep pace with the league's better teams.

Real Salt Lake may not be able to do anything but lose on the road, but the Utah club has found far more comfortable surroundings when it plays at home.

RSL remained unbeaten at Rice-Eccles Stadium with its 3-1 handling of San Jose on Saturday. Javier Morales and Robbie Findley spear-headed an attack in a match that wasn't the prettiest to watch.

When Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids rekindled their heated rivalry last week, you had two teams coming in with very different moods. Real Salt Lake was fresh off a victory while the Rapids were smarting after a tough loss to Houston. It seemed like a good opportunity for Real Salt Lake to send Colorado tumbling down the West standings while moving themselves up.

The Los Angeles Galaxy looked well on their way to another ugly loss. Two early goals gave Real Salt Lake a nice lead and more than 22,000 in attendance at Rice-Eccles Stadium must have figured they were going to see another home blowout like the 4-0 drubbing of D.C. United.

That was before David Beckham put on his Superman cape and began blasting away from distance.

When D.C. United walked off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium two weeks ago, the sting of a 4-0 blowout loss to Real Salt Lake was only tempered by the knowledge that the chance for revenge would come very soon.

That chance came on Saturday and D.C. took full advantage, riding two penalty kicks and two stunning strikes to earn a 4-1 victory at RFK Stadium.

When D.C. United walked off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium two weeks ago, the sting of a 4-0 blowout loss to Real Salt Lake was only tempered by the knowledge that the chance for revenge would come very soon.

That chance came on Saturday and D.C. took full advantage, riding two penalty kicks and two stunning strikes to earn a 4-1 victory at RFK Stadium.

Toronto FC fans waited for weeks, but the club's home opener finally arrived and it was as beautiful a day as they could have hoped for. From the crowd, to the weather to Toronto FC's performance, there was plenty at BMO Field to smile about.

At least if you weren't a Real Salt Lake player, coach or fan.