Vancouver Whitecaps bolster forward corps by signing Octavio Rivero as Young DP
Vancouver addressed its glaring need for a striker by signing Octavio Rivero from Chilean side O’Higgins on Thursday.
Rivero, 22, will join the Whitecaps next season after agreeing to terms on a deal to make him a Young Designated Player, according to a club release.
The former Uruguay youth international made the move to MLS after scoring 10 times in 16 appearances for the mid-table Chilean side during the Apertura campaign this fall.
“We are thrilled to welcome Octavio to our club,” Whitecaps boss Carl Robinson said in a statement. “We continue to build the squad, and Octavio is another piece to the puzzle. His skill set fits well with the way we want to play.”
The decision to splash the cash on Rivero reflects the need to increase the productivity in the final third next season. Vancouver scored just 42 goals in 34 matches, the lowest haul by any playoff side.
Robinson relied on Erik Hurtado (five goals) and Darren Mattocks (six goals) to fill the lone striking berth after Kenny Miller departed in May, but their inability to score consistently heaped pressure on Pedro Morales to contribute goals out of midfield.
Morales still looms as the most important figure in his free role behind the front man, but the Whitecaps now have more robust options in the attacking third with Mauro Rosales in the fold again after a successful spell last year and Rivero now on board.
Rivero will hope to continue his ascent -- he earned a move to Chile last summer after a prolific stint with Urguayan side Rentistas -- in British Columbia. If he manages the feat, then the Whitecaps will have the forward required to push them onwards and strengthen their bid for a second consecutive playoff berth.
