THE BASICS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Western Conference

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The Vancouver Whitecaps have a storied history dating back to 1974, cemented as Canada's "Soccer City" by the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl title. Their MLS era has seen the Whitecaps become a middle-of-the-pack side, claiming low seeds in the playoffs but still awaiting a true breakthrough season. Under coach Carl Robinson, the 'Caps are shunning big-name signings and embracing youth, building on their strong academy to develop their own star players with added South American talent. If they get it right, a legacy team awaits.

Rivals

What breeds a rivalry? A dislike between teams accounts for Vancouver's feisty affairs with Dallas, but proximity plays a key role, so the Whitecaps' Canadian rivalries with Toronto and Montreal are watered down by geography. That means it's the Cascadia rivalry that gets the juices going. Seattle and Portland may hate each other, but Vancouver wins Cascadia Cups. As the nearest derby match, Seattle generates the most emotion from 'Caps fans, and since the Sounders have been Vancouver's whipping boys of late, it's even sweeter.

2014 Recap

Any discussion of the Whitecaps last year had to include the phrase, "goalscoring woes." But a strong defensive showing saw them lead the league in shutouts, catapulting Vancouver to their most successful MLS season to date. They clinched a playoff berth, set a Canadian club record for MLS points achieved (50), and secured their first CONCACAF Champions League spot. Their season ended with a Knockout Round loss to FC Dallas on a controversial penalty call that will motivate them for retribution in 2015.

TRANSACTIONS IN: M Marco Bustos (Homegrown)

F Octavio Rivero (transfer from O'Higgins FC)

D Diego Rodriguez (loan from Juventud de las Piedras)

D Pa Modou Kah (free)

M Ben McKendry (Homegrown)

M Deybi Flores (loan from Motagua) TRANSACTIONS OUT: D Jay DeMerit (retired)

D Carlyle Mitchell (out of contract)

M Bryce Alderson (option declined)

F Omar Salgado (traded to NYCFC)

F Mamadou Diouf (option declined)

M Sebastian Fernandez (option declined)

D Johnny Leveron (option declined)

M Mehdi Ballouchy (Expansion Draft to NYCFC)

D Andy O'Brien (out of contract)

2015 Prospectus

Money does not guarantee success. While others spend big and chase star names, Vancouver continue to go with the low-key approach of keeping their squad young and bringing in players most have never heard of.

Octavio Rivero is the big addition up front. Will the Young Designated Player be the answer to those goalscoring woes? Meanwhile, the central defender corps got a facelift with Diego Rodriguez and Pa Modou Kah, who come in to solidify a Whitecaps defense that posted a league-best 13 shutouts last year.

The Whitecaps are confident they will keep improving, finally securing a home playoff game and advancing in the Champions League.

CLUB SOURCE: "They're like New England in 2012-13: You could see the talent, but you wondered when it was going to work. Then they got Jermaine Jones, and they were a juggernaut. Vancouver need someone to step up and be the heart of that team."

CLUB SOURCE: "Can they be consistent enough? That's the question. They've had stretches where they've looked like a contender, and then stretches where it's baffling what's going on. Can they mature, and can they have that natural progression to grow into a contender?"

PROJECTED LINEUP: 4-2-3-1 Ousted; Beitashour-Waston-Rodriguez-Harvey; Laba-Teibert; Rosales-Morales-Manneh; Rivero Complete roster [whitecapsfc.com]

FANTASY SOCCER SLEEPER PICKS: Pa Modou Kah

Matias Laba

Kekuta Manneh It's hard not to get excited about the Whitecaps as a fantasy manager. So much talent, almost all of it young and explosive. Should you grab Kekuta Manneh ($7m)? Probably not as a top-two option. Same for Mattocks ($7.5m) and Hurtado ($7m). Octavio Rivero ($8.5) is a high risk, high reward proposition. Looking for consistency? Matias Laba ($7.5m) and Jordan Harvey ($7.5m) fit the bill. Of course, Waston ($8.5m) and Morales ($11m) are obvious choices.

Armchair Analyst's Best Case Scenario

Attention, everyone: this is the dark horse MLS Cup candidate you've been looking for. If they played in the East, I'd list them as Shield candidates as well, but the West is just too brutal.

Vancouver's got a monstrous central defense that's balanced with veterans and youth; a d-mid who is one of the league's best; an MVP candidate; the most exciting young player in the league; and veteran fullbacks who cover endline to endline on both sides of the ball.

It's a title-worthy mix, provided Rivero is a 15(ish)-goal guy. He'll get enough service to hit that number, and if everything goes right the 'Caps are in the hunt for the West's No. 1 seed from the season's first kick, to the last.