Posted by

Harjeet Johal ,

July 8, 2016 Twitter

@HarJournalist

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VANCOUVER, B.C - The departure of Octavio Rivero has left the Vancouver Whitecaps with an open designated player spot and a need for a proven goal-scoring striker. The MLS secondary transfer window opened on Monday, July 4 and the Whitecaps organization could be looking to open the cheque book and do some shopping. Vancouver currently sit tied for 6th spot in the Western Conference with a 7-8-3 record. Coach Carl Robinson's previously defensively sound Whitecaps are tied for last with 31 goals against. Vancouver has scored 27 goals this season, but they tend to come in bunches.



Whitecaps skipper Pedro Morales leads the team with 6 goals and 4 assists. The midfielder is depended on to create and produce offense, whether that be in a holding midfield position or as a number 10 man and he could always use more help. Red Nation Online asked Morales what he would do if he was going transfer window shopping for the Whitecaps.



"Now the most important, I think is a centre-forward, no? Octavio (Rivero) left and we have to come in some players, maybe one, maybe two... I don't know. The decision is for the club, but it's very important for us. Octavio left for Chile, to Colo-Colo and now Robbo and the club have an opportunity to bring another forward player."



Is there an urgency to fill a void at the striker position? If you ask most supporters, and prognosticators the answer is clearly yes. Goals are hard to come by in MLS and a proven and scorer would add more depth and relief to the Whitecaps. On the other hand, it's important not to throw cash around at a quick fix band-aid solution. You want to bring in the right player that will fit in and form some team chemistry.



Assistant Coach Gordon Forrest spoke to the media about the pressure to fill the vacant DP spot.



"Nah, not at all. You've got to get these things right. With Octavio (Rivero) moving on, good luck to Octavio (Rivero). He did a great job for us, but it's something as a staff and club that we'll review. We'll take our time on that, we've got a good group of players. You've got Masato (Kudo) coming back into the mix now, he trained today, he trained well today. You've got Blas (Perez), you've got Erik (Hurtado), you've got other players that can do that job for us. We're quite content with the squad that we have now, but it doesn't mean that we're not going to try and improve over the course of the season."



Finding a player who can come in and mesh with the team is certainly a great idea on paper, but it's something that's not as easy as snapping your fingers or scrolling through social media rumours. Pedro Morales would like to see the players already on the roster continue to get a look as a viable striker.



"I don't know, it's a good point. You tell me if it's a decision right now, it's necessary maybe no? Erik (Hurtado) he plays good, he plays 90 minutes in some games. Masato Kudo's coming now, he's training good and has an opportunity to play. I don't know, maybe Robbo, the club maybe need to take time for making the decision."



Vancouver's attacking options should get a boost vs Colorado on Saturday with the return of Kekuta Manneh. The Gambian born winger was a surprise absence from the Whitecaps 18-man roster against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Manneh's exclusion created plenty of buzz and chatter among Whitecaps fans, and the media. The Caps second leading scorer has been in terrific form this season and his speed could very well have been a much-needed asset against an inexperienced Galaxy back-line.



"It happens, it's part of the game," said Manneh. "Coach decided to rest me, I understand we have a bunch of games coming up next week or so. I'm really excited to hopefully get back on the team this weekend, whether it be as a starter or from the bench. I came to practice today, worked hard, gave everything I had and I hope that's enough for this weekend."



Manneh had family from Texas visiting and it's still a bit foggy as to why he was not included. Whether it was purely for rest and recovery, a coaches decision, or simply tactical reasons, a concrete detailed answer has yet to be revealed. If Manneh was supposed to receive a message, Gordon Forrest put cold water on that notion.



"Nah, I think the decision as a coaching staff, we went in a different way against LA in the way that we wanted to be setup and how we wanted to play against LA. For that game in particular, he wasn't a part of that game."



The 21 year-old was surprised by the decision, but is already looking forward to the next match.



"A bit, a bit, but it's still a coaches decision. Like I said, we have a bunch of games coming up so it's good for me as an individual in the long run. It's about getting ready for the next game coming up and we put it behind us."



The next match will be tough as the defensively stingy Colorado Rapids visit BC Place. The Rapids have conceded a league best 11 goals against in 17 matches this season. Vancouver will have to take the chances they create and finish in the final third. That's proven to be easier said than done. Former Premier League keeper Tim Howard will earn his second cap with Colorado and he's pretty decent.



"It's difficult," admitted Pedro Morales. "Colorado has good players, not just the goalkeeper, they have it in midfield, forward. I think they have complete team. For us we have a good team too."