It has been seven years since Yura Movsisyan last ventured into the MLS Cup Playoffs. Naturally, he has fond memories of that journey.
In his first stint in MLS, Movsisyan celebrated by lifting MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake after a shootout victory over the LA Galaxy in 2009. Like that last postseason trip, Movsisyan will face the LA Galaxy Wednesday night at StubHub Center in Carson, California, in the Knockout Round of the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
“I have great memories from being in the playoffs – winning a championship my last game. That was a lot of fun,” Movsisyan said Monday. “That’s something that every player wants to feel a lot. I’m really excited about the opportunity and the chance to go after it again.”
At that point in his career, Movsisyan was a 22-year-old rising talent that was bound for Denmark to play with Randers following the 2009 season. Celebrating an MLS Cup title with his teammates was a fitting departure at the time. Now, upon his return, he has sought to reclaim that feeling as a 29-year-old veteran with vast experiences in Europe with Randers and Russian giants Spartak Moscow. After playing most of the season on loan from Spartak, RSL recently acquired Movsisyan’s full transfer and signed him to a multi-year contract.
While the 2009 MLS Cup final was played in Seattle, this meeting in the Knockout Round will be in California, not far from his adopted hometown of Pasadena, where his family immigrated after leaving war-torn Eastern Europe during his childhood. If his playoff return couldn’t be in Utah, this was the next best thing, although he isn’t playing for sentiment on Wednesday night.
“It’s always nice to play in front of friends and family,” he said. “It will be nice, but for me results are all that matter right now.”
Real Salt Lake stumbled into the playoffs after going winless in the final seven matches of the season, a stretch that started with a 3-3 draw against the Galaxy back on September 7.
While many have pointed to that dry spell that has produced just a 0-4-3 record as reason for pessimism heading into the postseason, Movsisyan sees the match against LA as a chance to break out.
“It’s one game and we’re due for a win,” he said. “We’re excited for this new opportunity.”
Movsisyan has been limited in recent weeks because of a bone bruise in his heel. He played just 80 minutes in the final four matches of the regular season and there hasn’t been any miraculous recovery in the 72 hours since RSL closed out the regular season on the hard turf of CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
“It’s alright. Obviously there is still pain, but that’s why we have as many players as we have,” Movsisyan said. “Players can step up and play.”
Wednesday’s match kicks off at 8:30 p.m. MT with national coverage on Unimas and the local broadcast on KMYU.
