AMSTERDAM – Winning MLS Cup last year seems to have awakened something in Yura Movsisyan. The former Real Salt Lake star has a hunger for trophies, and he says he's just getting started.
Seven months into his new adventure at Randers FC, Movsisyan has designs on raising more silver at the end of his first full season in Denmark's top flight.
"Why not?" Movsisyan told MLSsoccer.com. "Obviously, You've got the big ones, Copenhagen and Brøndby, but I think we've got a good team as we showed last year. An average team wouldn't go 15 to 16 games without losing. That's given us a lot of confidence. I'm shooting for the title. I don't know if anybody else is thinking that, but I am."
It's little wonder to find Movsisyan so full of kick in the Horses' strike stable. After collecting as many red cards as goals (one) over his first six games with Randers, the 23-year-old has exploded for nine in his last 10, including two in Europa League qualifying.
"For me, in the beginning, it was difficult because I couldn't get used to the country, the level, the weather," he said. "It also takes time to get used to the players. But I adapted really well and started scoring and kept going."
Movsisyan's latest strike came in Sunday's SAS Liga season opening win over the same Brøndby he identified as championship contender. The workhorse hopped off the bench to put the hosts up 2-0 by busting the offside trap to round the helpless keeper.
He's acclimatized off the field as well, growing comfy in the scenic harbor town that is Randers.
"It's quite nice here," said Movsisyan. "It's a little town, you can't really call it a big city. There's not much to do but concentrate on football. The weather is also quite nice, which helps. I'm happy."
With things going so well, the Azerbaijan-born Armenian is staying positive over his quest to one day join the US National Team and play for America at a World Cup. Transferring to play in Denmark may slow down the citizenship process he's begun a bit, but once again, Movsisyan's got his eyes fixed on the prize.
"I'm still of the same mindset," he stated. "Becoming a citizen could take a while or it could be a quick process. There's people working on it right now. It's not going to be as fast as it would have been there, but there's always ways to expedite it."
For now, though, Movsisyan's focus is squarely on Thursday's home leg of their UEFA Europa League second qualifying duel with Slovenian side Gorica. Randers lead 3-0 from the away leg and their No. 9 shirt is quite confident they will close up that bit of business.
"They're coming to our home and it'll be very, very difficult for any team to come into our house," Movsisyan said.
