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At this time last year, Vancouver Whitecaps fans were being introduced to their new striker Octavio Rivero, who was suppose to be a key contributor to solving the scoring problems left the previous off-season at this time by...we will leave it at that. A year has passed and Rivero was not the savior the Whitecaps were looking for; at least not alone. Despite the need, the Whitecaps have been fairly quiet this off-season. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it sure makes for some boring reporting.
The other day Alistair summarized the few transfer rumors swirling around the Whitecaps thus far. It even includes the German Andres Schurrle. Come on, we can get that rumor going can't we? His girlfriend is from (Greater) Vancouver. She doesn't want to live in Europe. Schurrle has decided to continue his career close to her and play for us? Isn't that what sort of happened with YP Lee? We can dream can't we....
Back to reality, it is important to remember that within MLS transfers are not the only option available to teams. There are often several intra-league trades and even the newly formed 'free agency'. In fact, according to MLS, there are TWELVE ways to acquire new players. Good luck understanding that. Despite how it might seem, intra-league trades are a valuable tool for acquiring useful players. Do not forget that is how the Whitecaps acquired Matias Laba. This season, Joe Bendik, Will Johnson, Steven Beitashour, Marco Pappa, Dan Kennedy, Chris Klute, Zac MacMath, Ethan White, Cristian Maidana, Andrew Wenger, Lamar Neagle, and Chris Pontius have all found new homes via the trade route. There are some familiar names in that list that could easily help any team, including the Whitecaps.
Over the past few months, names such as Chris Wondolowski, 'Cubo' Torres, Will Bruin, and Mike Magee have been floated about as being potentially available or good fits for the Whitecaps. While the focus of this article is on the offense, are there any MLS names that you would like to (realistically) see in a Whitecaps uniform for the upcoming season? Let us know your thoughts below on the names already highlighted or new ones that you feel might fit.