Real Salt Lake top performers: Robbie Findley

Real Salt Lake's Robbie Findley was named MVP for the forwards — and with good reason.

The speedy 24-year-old led the team in goals in both the regular season, with 12 tallies, and the playoffs, with three of the team's five scores — he also made both his penalty shots during the semifinal and championship shootouts. He chipped in with four assists during the regular season and one during the club's remarkable run to the MLS Cup title.

In the team's home-opener for 2009 against Columbus, Findley netted the team's first MLS hat trick — former player and now coach, Jason Kreis, had a hat trick in a non-league game in the Open Cup in 2005. It was just the type of start to the season the club expected for Findley.

"We've wanted a night like that for Robbie Findley for a while now," said coach Jason Kreis. "The staff and the entire team has a lot of belief in what Robbie Findley can be."

At the end of August, Findley got a nice surprise as he was called up to train with the U.S. Men's National Team as it paid a visit to Utah to face El Salvador.

"It's been a while since I've suited up with the national team, so it will be an incredible feeling to represent my country again," said Findley.

Findley struggled through a bit of a scoring drought as he didn't net a goal from Aug. 26-Oct. 24, but he came on just in time as he scored two goals against the team's rivals from Colorado for a win that put the team in the playoffs. Then he took off from there.

"For me he's improved leaps and bounds, and I see it every day. … Overall, his entire game has moved forward, but is it where it can be? No," said Kreis. "He still has two or three steps forward to take. When he does that, he'll be in and around that national team all the time."

e-mail: mblack@desnews.com