Rivero Looks Like the Missing Piece

The Whitecaps should consider themselves lucky that Octavio Rivero is finding his form this quickly with his new club. Otherwise nobody else would score.

In an all-too-familiar storyline, the Whitecaps created countless chances in Chicago, and missed them when it seemed impossible not to put the ball into the net. Even centrepiece Pedro Morales looked pedestrian when the ball fell to him, whiffing on two prime scoring opportunities on the night. We've seen this movie and know how it ends: another disappointing draw on the road.

But Rivero is flipping the script.

When all seemed lost, he scored an 86th minute tally to seal 3 points on the road. And not just your average, scrappy MLS goal where the ball is crossed into the box, bounces off three defenders, and falls to a forwards feet on the goal line. No, Rivero hit Beitashour's pass first time, and finished neatly into the bottom-left corner. A true striker's goal.

In fact, aside from a major gaffe in the home opener, where he failed to score a tap-in, Rivero has looked as close to clinical as any player the Caps have had. Yes, including Camilo. Rivero is not blazing fast, setting him apart from every other Whitecaps forward since Hassli. But what he lacks in pace, he makes up for in technical ability.

In build up play he has a great feel for whether to make that piercing run or to stop short and help retain possession. He is certainly not the type to run at defenders with the ball, only to eventually be closed down before he can make his mind up to shoot or pass.

Vancouver is used to watching that type of player, Manneh, Hurtado, and Mattocks are prime examples. And, quite frankly, we are sick of it. Rivero is smart. He has a feel for attacking beyond dribbling the ball around defenders. He understands how an offense passes into way into the box. When he and Morales start to build some chemistry, you can be sure they will make sweet music together in the final third.

And maybe that is his most valuable asset. He finally provides Pedro Morales with a creative partner, not just a moving target for through balls. And even when Morales is having a stinker like he did in Chicago, it's no big deal. Octavio Rivero's there to bail him out, too.

Whitecaps Attackers Must Prove Themselves in Chicago

The biggest question ahead of this season was whether or not Vancouver could score more goals. After a loss to TFC in their season opener, the question remains unanswered.

The Caps were exposed as a potentially one-dimensional counter attacking team. Although they looked potent in the first half, scoring once on a long through ball delivered to Octavio Rivero, Toronto were able to contain Vancouver speed down the flanks after a half-time adjustment. Carl Robinson's side were forced to play a possession game, keeping the passes short and trying to methodically break down the Red's back line.

The results were not good. They seemed to lack creativity with the ball, passing only to keep possession until they were ultimately closed down. No threatening balls into the box, no playing their forwards through on goal. TFC, in no danger of conceding a goal, just waited for their turn with the ball and attacked with the intent that the Whitecaps were lacking.

Is this a correctable problem? Can Robinson fiddle with his tactics and unearth a more balanced offensive scheme? Or was the frustration of last Saturday's match an ominous sign of things to come? This weeks trip to Chicago will likely give us an inkling either way.

Let's face it, the Chicago Fire are a team Vancouver should score goals against. The Fire conceded 51 times last year, tied for the 6th worst record in the league, on their way to finishing second last in the weak Eastern Conference.

And while there was plenty of turnover in their roster leading up to this season, Chicago looks less like a club whose offseason moves have poised them for success, and more like one who is struggling to find its identity. It their opening fixture in Los Angeles, they were outmatched by the Galaxy on paper and eventually on the pitch.

It was a 2-0 loss for Chicago during which LA attempted to shoot an astonishing eight times within the 18-yard box. By comparison, the Seattle Sounders only took five shots inside the box in their dominant 3-0 victory against the lowly Revolution.

This is all basically to say that Chicago does not defend very well. The Whitecaps need to show they can take advantage, especially on the road. They scored 15 times in 17 road matches, and that rate will need to improve dramatically if they want to make the playoffs comfortably this time around.

That improvement must begin tonight, because if they cannot score against the weaker teams on the road, they do not stand a chance against the West's better sides.