Good Monday morning Caps fans, hope you all are winding down your week and that you are headed for a weekend of rest and relaxation — I know I will be.

A hectic workweek meant I missed the Caps showdown with Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday but the consensus seems to be a decent, but not great, performance where the Caps were a bit lucky to get away with a win after failing to maximize a strong first half.

Three points is three points, though putting teams and games away remains one of this team’s more glaring weaknesses. The Caps will likely not care, as they appear to have fully reversed their midseason slump and have only a date with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday before entering the Leagues Cup break. All the while, they have soared up to fourth place thanks to them making the most of a soft schedule.

The match introduced the new wrinkle of Ali Ahmed being played as a forward (clearly Vanni Sartini was watching the Canadian National Team) where, by all accounts, he did well. Adding a bust of creativity on the wing would be a welcome development and would give the Caps another strong attacking piece, though I’ve always wondered if Ahmed would be better used as a central midfielder.

It is possible, however, that the Caps are preparing for a world in which Ali is no longer a fullback. Rumors this week link the club to 20-year-old right back Edier Ocampo of Atletico National in Colombia.

If true, the move would be an interesting one at a time where Seb Berhalter and Ryan Raposo have been decent as wingbacks. It could foreshadow one of them leaving the club. It also could be a signal that Javain Brown, who we wish well as he is seemingly on a mental health break of sorts, is outgoing this window. Or it could be the depth that Axel Schuster has promised to prioritize this window.

I’m no expert on Colombian soccer but Ocampo has three goals and an assist this season. Those have apparently come from the right wing position, rather than right back, meaning positional flexibility might be the name of the game here. It would certainly make more sense that the Caps would be targeting a guy who could fill in at right wing and a 20-year-old would be a prime target for the U-22 initiative spots the team will have available.

Schuster also indicated that he was pessimistic about immigration, meaning that a guy like Ocampos might not feature until late this season or even 2025. If so, that would be a disappointing development for a team that has been showing real signs of life.

Shameless Self Promotion

Look back on our three big takeaways from Wednesday’s SKC match.

Best of the Rest

MLS has officially implemented their new roster rules, allowing teams to mix and match of DP and U-22 spots

Ali Ahmed reflects on Canada’s Copa America run and a missed opportunity with Messi.

St Louis City are reportedly interested in signing back Simon Becher from Denmark, a move that would net the Caps some sort of sell on.

Canada has surpassed the U.S. Men’s National Team in the FIFA rankings, something I’m sure we’ll hear a bit about.

14-year-old Cavan Sullivan debuted for the Union this week, breaking Freddy Adu’s record to become the youngest player in MLS history.