Real Salt Lake and the Kansas City Wizards announced a deal between the two clubs at today's MLS trade deadline, with RSL acquiring FW Yura Movsisyan and a Youth International roster spot from the Wizards. In return, Real Salt Lake relinquished its natural 3rd round selection in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and its natural 1st round pick in the 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft and a portion of a player allocation to the Missouri MLS side. Movsisyan is expected to join his new teammates in Salt Lake City on Monday following RSL's return from tomorrow's match-up at Toronto FC (1:30 p.m. MT; live on FSN-Utah).
To make room on the roster for the club's newest striker, Real Salt Lake also announced today that the club has placed MF Kenny Cutler (sports hernia surgery) on its Season Ending Injury list, making him inactive for the remainder of the 2007 campaign. First-year MLS performer D/M Chris Lancos will replace Cutler on RSL's 18-man Senior Roster, while Movsisyan will occupy the final spot on the Utah side's 10-man Developmental roster.
"Yura is a player we've had our eye on for a number of months, and we have gone back and forth with Kansas City on a variety of deals to make this move happen," said Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jason Kreis. "Yura is an exciting young player, and for him to score five goals this season in his limited amount of playing time speaks to the dangerous attacking possibilities he can provide. Not only are we getting a quality player in this deal, but the acquisition of a second Youth International slot is just as important so that we can acquire another player of this caliber down the road."
RSL's youth movement this season continues with the acquisition of the 20-year-old Movsisyan, who, thanks to his recently-granted asylum status, will not occupy the club's newly-acquired Youth International spot. Since being drafted by the Wizards in the first round (4th overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, Movsisyan has scored five goals in 28 appearances (six starts) during his first two MLS seasons. Movsisyan has tallied all five of his goals during the 2007 campaign - with all of the scores coming off the bench - in just 666 minutes of play across his 18 appearances (five starts) this season. A native of Azerbaijan, Movsisyan moved to the United States in 2000 and attended Pasadena (CA) City College for one season - scoring 18 of his team's 34 goals during his freshman campaign - before making himself eligible for the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
One of six remaining players from RSL's 2005 inaugural squad, the 25-year-old Cutler saw his 2007 season cut short after undergoing sports hernia surgery last week in Germany to resolve a nagging osteitis pubis condition. The lower abdominal injury forced Cutler to miss the bulk of the 2007 campaign, the Clemson University product making just two appearances off the bench for a total of 32 minutes for RSL this season.
Yura Movsisyan
Position: Forward
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180 lbs.
Birthdate: August 2, 1987 in Baku, Azerbaijan, USSR
Hometown: Pasadena, CA
Last club: Kansas City Wizards (2007)
Acquired: Via trade with Kansas City Wizards on 9/14/07 along with a Youth International roster spot in exchange for RSL's natural 2009 3rd round SuperDraft and 2009 1st round Supplemental Draft selections and a portion of a player allocation.
