In a recent Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll of 152 Salt Lake County residents, 54 percent said didn't agree with the county's decision to approve public funding for the stadium, while 40 percent said they approved the move. However, the Dan Jones & Associates poll had a margin of error of 8 percent.

The poll was conducted August 16-17, just four days after groundbreaking on Real's stadium.

"It's going to take some incubation time to really find out if people favor this recent action by the Salt Lake County Council and the mayor," Jones said. "We did it so close to the vote, they really haven't had all the fallout of what people have said about the results, so it's very, very close in regard of whether people favor it or not."

The team wants the public to know more about the deal, and will kick off an information campaign throughout the month of September, complete with open house and other public events, a team spokesman said.

Negotiations are continuing on how Real Salt Lake can spend public money to buy land and infrastructure for a stadium. The Salt Lake County Council recently approved a "blueprint" of the deal and still must sign off on the final contract.

But it's time to move on, Corroon said.

He's sick of the political infighting over public funding for a professional stadium. He's tired of watching soccer overtake what he feels are more important issues. And he's ready to go back to normal life as Salt Lake County mayor.

Now that the deal is done, Checketts has apologized to Corroon for several high-profile criticisms: Real's owner called Corroon the "King of England," and overall county leadership a "completely dysfunctional group."

Checketts was in Spain in negotiations with Real Madrid this week and unavailable for comment. But Real CEO Dean Howes said that despite the rocky relationship the past few months, the team is happy everyone was able to come together to keep Real in Utah for years to come.

"I think everyone could have probably done better, but it's our first time dealing with these issues, and Mayor Corroon's first time," Howes said. "Everyone did the best job they knew how to do."

It was ugly — the ugliest processes Corroon said he has dealt with as county mayor. But to Corroon, it was all worth it, as Real Salt Lake will be playing soccer in Utah for years to come.

"In the end, all the wrangling back and forth came up with a proposal that did work," Corroon said of the public name-calling. "It was ugly, but that's probably the way politics should be."

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com