Vancouver Whitecaps will be looking to build upon a solid foundation that was established last season when they registered a club record 50 points to finish 5th in the Western Conference and qualify for the playoffs for the second time in the club’s four years in MLS.

Carl Robinson had an excellent first season as head coach, making some shrewd signings and getting a lot out of his players. Now, the club is poised to take another step forward having added some key pieces to a strong core of players from last season.

Find out who TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos believes is the x-factor for the Whitecaps

Robinson wants to play an attractive, entertaining style of football, and that was evident last year – but the lack of a natural goal-scorer proved to be an issue, especially in the second half of the year. It appears they have now solved that problem with the arrival of Octavio Rivero. The 23-year old Uruguayan was the Whitecaps main off-season target, and it is easy to see why. He fits in perfectly with the youthful, South American-inspired squad that Robinson has been building.

Rivero joins the Whitecaps from O’Higgins in Chile where he scored 10 goals in 16 appearances in the Apertura last year and was voted by his peers as the league’s top striker. He hit the ground running in preseason, scoring twice in his first Whitecaps appearance against New England in Arizona, and linking up well with the players around him.

With captain Pedro Morales now fully rested after 18 months without a break, and veteran creator Mauro Rosales with the club from the start of the year the Whitecaps should have no problem getting Rivero service. It could be a big season for young speedster Kekuta Manneh who has looked at his exciting best in preseason, and there will also be roles to play for Nicolas Mezquida, Marco Bustos and Kianz Froese. Robinson certainly has the pieces to play an attacking game. He also has options up front with Darren Mattocks, Eric Hurtado, and - if he signs - Robert Earnshaw all capable of scoring goals.

At the other end of the pitch there have been new arrivals as well. Pa-Modou Kah is likely to form a partnership in central defence with Kendall Waston on opening day. What a commanding, fearsome pairing that could be!  Kah made 40 appearances in two years with Portland Timbers before joining the ‘Caps in the offseason, and will be a vocal leader at the back. Diego Rodriguez is another option for Robinson in the centre of defence. With Matias Laba set to patrol the area in-front of the central defenders, the Whitecaps will be tough to break down. Laba is one of the best defensive midfielders in Major League Soccer, and if he continues to play as he did last year, the ‘Caps will have difficulty holding onto him.

Robinson is heavily invested in youth. He wants to give young players a chance. He proved that last season, and will do the same again this year. With Canadian Championship games, CONCACAF Champions League matches and a USL team, there will be plenty of action for the Whitecaps plethora of young players, but it will be interesting to see if any of the young Canadians can make a regular contribution at MLS level.

Russell Teibert will want to again establish himself as a member of the first eleven as he did towards the end of last year, but one of the most intriguing battles will be at left back where Canadian Under 20 international Sam Adekugbe will push veteran Jordan Harvey all the way. Adekugbe made one MLS start in each of the last two seasons – expect that number to increase this year.

The Western Conference keeps getting tougher. With the arrival of Sporting Kansas City and Houston Dynamo from the East, there are two more teams that have become accustomed to postseason play. However, I still think the Whitecaps stand an excellent chance of improving on last year’s fifth placed finish. I don’t expect them to challenge LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders for the top two places in the West, but in my mind, there is no reason why they can’t end up in third or fourth place and earn the club’s first ever home MLS playoff date.

Projected lineup:

4-2-3-1

GK: Ousted

RB: Beitashour, CD: Waston, CD: Kah, LB: Harvey

DM: Laba, DM: Teibert

RM: Rosales, CM: Morales, LM: Manneh

FW: Rivero

Off-Season 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)

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 (12/8/14 - 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)

National Tour: Montreal  (Jun 3), Toronto (Mar 7)