Real Salt Lake notebook: Johnson fired up to burn old team

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Will Johnson was on cloud nine Saturday night as he stepped up to take a penalty kick against his old team.

"I'm just buzzing. I live for moments like that. I absolutely love the chance," said Johnson, who played six games with Chicago as an 18-year-old in 2005 before heading to Europe for two years.

He's still bitter about the way his old team handled his departure, understandable considering he attended Fire games as a boy living in a Chicago suburb beginning at the age of 10. That's what made his clutch penalty kick that much sweeter.

"You get tired from all the running, but when you walk up and there's 21,000 thousand people (who) are booing you, for me that just gives me the biggest buzz in the world," said Johnson. "There's nothing better because when you make that penalty, it's like alright guys, enjoy that."

Johnson's penalty came with Chicago leading 4-3, and had he missed the Fire would've clinched the Eastern Conference championship. Instead, he buried it extremely confidently.

WELCOME HOME PARTY: Real Salt Lake is inviting fans to welcome the team home from Salt Lake City International Airport today. The team will be arriving on American Airlines at 12:40 p.m., and fans are encouraged to meet in Terminal 1.

NED'S BIG MOMENT: Ned Grabavoy watched all but one minute of Saturday's game on the bench. But when Robbie Russell started cramping late in the match, RSL's coaching staff knew it needed to insert someone into the match just in case they needed someone to take penalty kicks behind the first five kicks.

Kreis said he looked at his available subs and thought, "Who's a very good penalty kick taker who's had some experience who won't waver in this situation?"

They went with Grabavoy, who buried the winning penalty kick.

SUCCESS AGAIN: Saturday's shootout was the first in franchise history, but not for a handful of RSL players.

Kyle Beckerman and Clint Mathis were both on the Colorado Rapids in 2006 when they defeated FC Dallas in a shootout, with both players converting penalty kicks. Against Chicago, they both converted their kicks again.

Nick Rimando has also had prior success in shootouts, having earned a penalty kick victory over New England in the Eastern Conference final when he was with D.C. United back in 2004.

PLAYOFF CONSISTENCY: RSL's run to the conference finals in consecutive years is due in large part to stability in the starting 11. Including Saturday's match in Chicago, Nick Rimando, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Chris Wingert, Kyle Beckerman, Will Johnson and Javier Morales have started all six matches in RSL playoff history.

Five others have appeared in all six matches: Andy Williams, Clint Mathis, Robbie Russell, Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan.