Progress is what matters the most, not perfection. At least for a middling team like the Vancouver Whitecaps.

When Italian boss Vanni Sartini took over the team in 2021, coming off back-to-back sub-10-win seasons, he broke that streak to lead the team to the MLS Cup Playoffs. While the Caps took a step back in 2022 and missed out on the playoffs, they still had a Canadian Championship to celebrate.

Vancouver will hope to have reasons to celebrate in MLS this year. While the team still seems to be in a transitional period, they will be aiming to continue their progression wth steady progress.

Ahead of their season opener against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, here are some things you need to know about the Blue-and-White.

What happened in 2022?

The Whitecaps finished ninth in the Western Conference last season, missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

There was some promise in the second half of the season following the arrivals of Alessandro Schöpf, Andrés Cubas, and Julian Gressel, but it was too late to secure a playoff spot.

The Vancouver attack was one of the worst across MLS last season, with just 40 goals scored. While Canadian international Lucas Cavallini’s struggles in front of the net were a big factor, the team was just not aggressive enough in attack because they were so often trying to defend to avoid conceding goal after goal.

What’s changed since 2022?

The Whitecaps had a veteran exodus in the off-season, most notably Cavallini, who left for Club Tijuana. To make up for it, they made just three signings. But, on paper those moves could be tremendous.

Their first signing was Uruguayan centre-back Mathías Laborda, who arrived on a free transfer. The 23-year-old, who played four seasons with Montevideo giants Nacional, will not only help their backline but also bring some much-needed experience to make up for the losses of veterans like Florian Jungwirth and Tosaint Ricketts.

The Caps made another stride towards improving their defence with the signing of J-League All-Star goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, who will be looking to claim the No. 1 spot from Thomas Hasal, to improve his chances with the Japanese national team.

And finally, Vancouver replaced the outgoing Cavallini with Venezuelan striker Sergio Córdova. He comes in as a somewhat MLS-proven striker, after scoring nine goals for Real Salt Lake last season, while on loan from FC Augsburg.

A big change that might go under the radar is their formation. In pre-season, Sartini changed from his beloved three-at-the-back to a 4-3-2-1 and it led to an undefeated run across six games.

But it was only preseason, so make of that what you will. I do think it’s a good sign, though.

Related read: Change is the only constant: How a turbulent offseason could affect CF Montréal’s 2023 MLS season

How’s the offseason gone?

Sporting director Axel Schuster knew the club had to make moves and went ahead and did exactly that.

It started with a big shake-up, with eight players exiting since November 2022. Three of those were free transfers and two were retirements, but Schuster couldn’t care less about net spend and went ahead and splashed the cash on two of their three signings.

When you factor in their new formation, which gets the best out of players like Gressel, Córdova, and Ryan Gauld, too, I’m impressed by their off-season work.

Throw in that brand new jersey they released and it’s been a decent winter.

Who will be the best signing?

There are only three players to choose from but based on the preseason so far and the potential for the impact that can be made, Laborda is my pick for the best signing made by the Whitecaps this offseason.

The Uruguayan is predominantly a centre-half but played all across the backline in the preseason, and had a solid outing every time.

If his defence wasn’t enough to be excited about, wait ‘til you find out he can be a set piece threat too, with one goal scored in preseason already.

I will be accepting invitations to the Laborda fan club all season, so let me know when you’re here.

Who will be the biggest loss?

It’s tough to point out an outgoing player as the biggest loss for the Whitecaps, considering they made the signings to compensate for the departures.

But based on the positional depth that will be affected, Cavallini leaving means that Vancouver just have Simon Becher as a backup striker behind Córdova and Brian White. With the team likely sticking to a two-man striker partnership, having just one backup is not ideal. And while Cristian Dájome could do the job, his best position is out wide.

The transfer window is still open for a couple of months and the Caps might just invest in some depth once the season begins. Or at least they should.

Related read: Experience is expensive: Analyzing Toronto FC’s roster and chance of success entering 2023 MLS season

Who are the likely MVP candidates?

After scoring 12 goals last season, Gauld would be many people’s go-to pick. With a stronger defence behind him, he will likely have the freedom to do what he does best up top: create and score goals.

Laborda will also be a candidate and so will Gressel. But I’m going with Schöpf as my pick for MVP for the upcoming season.

After arriving midway through the 2022 season, he didn’t have much time to settle in with his new team. But that’s not the case anymore. The Austrian, who was praised by Sartini as one of the best players during preseason, will be entering the season with a lot of expectations and I believe he is ready to live up to all of them.

Not only is he one of the most creative players on the pitch, but he’s also an absolute engine. Schöpf is going to be vital for the Whitecaps on both attack and defence from central midfield.

Way-too-early prediction?

The Whitecaps are ranked among the bottom five teams in the league for odds to win the MLS Cup.

Surprising? A bit, actually, yes.

After finishing ninth last season, the club has made the necessary signings to get better. And if that is not enough for people to trust the team, one cannot forget that three of their best players last season, Schöpf, Cubas, and Gressel, all arrived midway through the season.

The trio have had enough time to integrate themselves with the new squad now, and with Sartini and his new tactics at the helm, this is a playoff team.

My prediction is that this team finishes seventh in the Western Conference, and at worst, they finish ninth again. But considering the new playoff format changes, that would still have them as a playoff team, and that would represent the progress they crave.