In a deal that likely raised the eyebrows of more than a few Kansas City Wizards fans, the club traded talent-rich forward Yura Movsisyan to Real Salt Lake on Saturday, the trade deadline for MLS teams in 2007.
The 20-year-old Azerbaijan-born Movsisyan put in five goals for the Wizards in 18 total appearances in his second season with the team. All five goals came off the bench as Movsisyan earned the tab of super-sub, and the five goals were second-most on the team at the time of the trade.
Trading away a forward who has been an asset is generally a questionable move. But Wizards technical director Peter Vermes said the deal was one where the club was looking out for the future -- not only for the Wizards, but also for Movsisyan.
"It's really simple, and this has been very clear to the team. We're a little top heavy in that position, but, more importantly, Yura wasn't very happy," Vermes said. "We want to make sure that we have guys in this organization who really, really want to be here. He was showing signs, and he had verbally, as well as just through the way he demonstrated himself over practice and games, that he wanted to move on.
"From our perspective, we have a certain way we want to do things, and we need players to buy into that. That's a very team-oriented environment ...," continued Vermes. "If there is somebody who doesn't want to be here, then that takes away from that philosophy."
Movsisyan is a protégé of sorts in that he picked up the game of soccer at a young age but never played on an organized team until he came to the United States in 2000. After playing just a season at Pasadena City College, when he scored 18 goals in 19 games, he declared himself eligible for the MLS SuperDraft, and was selected fourth overall in 2006.
"Yura has, and I mean this wholeheartedly, unbelievable potential, and he has a great talent. He just maybe needs some other guidance now," said Vermes.
In return for a possible future star and a youth international roster spot, the Wizards received depth for future drafts or acquisitions, receiving a partial allocation, Real Salt Lake's natural third-round selection in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and their natural first-round selection in the 2009 Supplemental Draft.
"It gives us other things to use those for in the future too if we're making some other moves here or there. [We can] combo things together and maybe makes things a little more enticing for someone," Vermes said.
The Wizards depth at forward has been recently bolstered with the return to health of Scott Sealy and the addition of Argentinean Eloy Colombano.
"[Eloy is] just what we wanted. ... We feel Eloy is a guy who can provide that same spark [as Movsisyan] and give us a little bit more soccer," said Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo. "He certainly showed that [Saturday night]. He's done it every time he's come in; he's been excellent for us."
The deal might have been impacted as well by the possible departure of scoring ace Eddie Johnson after the season.
When asked if he was confident Johnson would be in Kansas City next season, Vermes said, "No, I'm not. You never know what is going to happen. There are certain stipulations within his contract and things that they have in agreements with the league where we would have no say. We always have to plan for many situations, and that's just one of them. That's not the only one. There are a lot of different situations we have to plan for."
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
