Having scored a league-worst 32 goals through 31 games this season, thereās an obvious offseason need to fortify the Colorado Rapids attack.
That plan, according to first-year coach Anthony Hudson, is already in the works.
āWe know itās an area of the pitch we are addressing and everyone at the club at the moment is 24/7 looking, scouting all over the world ā Europe, South America, within the league,ā Hudson said in comments to the team website. āWeāve got scouts at games every week in the league looking at the targets we have.ā
Particularly noteworthy, Hudson said the club has already targeted at least 12 players from within MLS on his wish list.
āWeāve identified probably within the league, a dozen players, top targets in terms of strikers,ā Hudson said. āWeāve identified players overseas, our targets. Itās so frustrating for us and itās tough for the fans, but itās something that we are absolutely actively addressing. We just canāt do anything right now.ā
Hudson said because of injuries and suspensions he hasnāt been able to field a consistent lineup and the product in the attacking third has suffered accordingly. He said the Rapids best string of results came with the pairing of Sam Nicholson and Jack McBean up front, but both are currently injured.
Colorado traded away the top striker on its roster ā Dom Badji ā in order to get midfielder Kellyn Acosta from FC Dallas and Designated Player ShkĆ«lzen Gashi has largely been ineffective since arriving from FC Basel. The 30-year-old former Albanian international has scored just twice this year ā matching his 2017 total ā with six starts in 18 appearances after nine goals in his first season.
Gashi scored the lone goal in the Rapidsā current seven-match losing streak that has seen them outscored 22-1.
āGashi throughout the season really has had periods where heās played, heās not played, heās had some injuries,ā Hudson said. āHe played against Columbus, then he had an injury so heās been unfortunate because heās not been able to get a good run in the team.ā