Vancouver Whitecaps came away from the 2013 MLS SuperDraft with two excellent prospects after two top five picks, following a late trade with TFC.
What the Caps did with those picks was to add some blistering pace to their attack in forwards Kekuta Manneh and Erik Hurtado, both of whom we should expect to see terrorising the wings in MLS at various points this season and beyond.
Manneh is an 18 year Gambian who can play as an out and out striker or as a winger. He has electric pace, a great eye for goal and is a really exciting pick for the Caps. He spent last season with Austin Aztex where he recorded 12 goals and nine assists in just 13 games at PDL level.
Hurtado is 22 and primarily a right winger, but is another who is versatile and could be used in a number of ways. He joins the Caps following four standout seasons at Santa Clara University and a spell last season with Portland Timbers U23 side in the PDL, where he scored six goals in ten appearances.
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We'll have more detailed profiles on both of these players later today, but for now, scroll to the bottom for a look at Manneh scoring four goals for Austin against Daytona Dutch Lions in May.
In a conference call to media after the draft, Caps coach Martin Rennie couldn't hide his delight at getting both of the players he had his eyes on:
<i>"Really happy to pick up the two players.
In our squad at the moment we have a solid group of players but we wanted to add pace and excitement in the final third of the field. We feel with these two players that we've definitely managed to do that.
They've got attributes that can't be coached with their pace and their ability to change direction quickly and their hunger for goals. The other things that they don't have yet, we feel we can coach and help them improve on.
So we're really pleased to get them."</i>
And Rennie isn't simply looking at both of these players for the future. He feels both can see a lot of minutes this season:
<i>We think that they can have a big opportunity to make a difference to our team right away but also have a huge potential to give use even more in the future."</i>
The Caps traded away their 10th spot with TFC for allocation money to be able to secure their two favoured players in one quick swoop, as Rennie explained:
<i>"These were the two players that we wanted to get out of the draft and once they were both available at that point then it made sense for us to do that trade.
In the end we got the two players that we sat last night and said if we can come out of the draft with those two players we'd be very happy and in the end we are."</i>
Manneh was officially the fourth pick of today's draft and has been on the Caps radar for a while and is a player that Bobby Lenarduzzi describes as having <i>"unlimited potential"</i>.
Having trained with the Whitecaps for a week a couple of months ago, his talent has also seen interest from others, with training spells at LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers last summer, along with time at Liverpool and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Manneh is now a Whitecap though and the good news for fans is that the Gambian U20 international holds a US green card and won't be taking up an international spot on the squad.
As for Kekuta himself, the player seems delighted to have ended up in Vancouver:
<i>"I'm very excited to get drafted by the Whitecaps. I'm really happy that they chose me.
I've been to Vancouver two months ago and trained with the team. I like it. It was exciting and I got to know some of the guys there.
I feel like the happiest guy right now in the world."</i>
His fellow newbie Hurtado also echoed those thoughts:
<i>"I'm so excited to be drafted to Vancouver. It's a dream come true to play professional soccer. I'm going to give it my all and give 100% and step on the field and represent the Whitecaps as best as possible."</i>
One of the Caps' biggest problems last season was the lack of goals, not helped by a lack of creativity in the middle and on the wings.
Manneh and Hurtado, along with Omar Salgado when he recovers full fitness, should add some of that creativity out wide and hopefully add some goals in the process.
Rennie will now fill the midfield voids with some experienced talent and I would expect at least one announcement in this regards by the end of the week.
The two new additions does raise even more questions about the future of Kenny Miller in Vancouver.
The young guns can certainly learn from a wily old veteran but playing second fiddle is certainly not what Miller had in mind when he made the move over the Atlantic.
Rennie wouldn't be drawn on speculation today but Miller wasn't mentioned once when he talked about striking options this year, so draw your own conclusions from that.
For Vancouver to really challenge for the honours this season, they need to add more lethal weapons and creative flair. They've done that in small part today.
When training starts on Monday, there will undoubtedly be more.
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