Good Friday morning Caps fans. Hope it’s been a good week and that you are making plans to start your August off right.

At long last, the Vancouver Whitecaps will return to BC Place and, boy, what a marquée matchup awaits them, as Son and LAFC come to town. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I’m sure the building will be packed for the rematch of last year’s Western Conference semifinals.

They will officially do so without Sebastian Berhalter. Not that there was any doubt about Seb’s future but the Caps made things official by announcing his departure for Middlesbrough.

We covered what this all means last week when the rumors first surfaced, but I think we all wish Seb well in Europe. This is a guy who worked his rear end off, first to be a starting-caliber piece, then to be an elite midfielder in MLS, and THEN to be a USMNT-level midfielder. That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it speaks to the character and grit a player has. I wish the Caps had taken seriously the chance to renew Seb’s contract a year ago, but it was inevitable he would want a chance to test himself in Europe. I look forward to pulling for Boro (except when they play Norwich). And Seb made me emotional with his heartfelt goodbye message.

Berhalter is also the biggest coup in the Caps’ strategy of grabbing distressed assets and turning them into stars. So it is perhaps fitting that the newest signing, Kwasi Poku, is decidedly in that mold. Poku, who has played as a winger, striker, and fullback during his career, is certainly not the Berhalter replacement. Axel Schuster says that should be on the way before long.

But Poku is an intriguing prospect who was well worth a punt for the reported 125,000 Euros the Caps paid for him. While his goal return over the last couple of years in the Belgian lower leagues has been OK, he comes with an excellent CPL pedigree from his time at Forge. Indeed, when he moved to Europe in the first place, he was a record-breaking outgoing transfer for the entire CPL.

Given that the Caps’ have stockpiled injuries at the forward position and the fact that Rayan Elloumi has not set the world on fire as a backup striker this season (though he obviously continues to have a high ceiling long term), grabbing a high-upside young player with a bit more seasoning makes a ton of sense. Assuming he has recovered from any injury issues, Poku’s physical frame means he should adapt well to the style of the league, and he certainly has the ability to bag plenty of goals. This isn’t the signing we were all hoping for, but with any luck, that more established player Schuster promised should be arriving sooner rather than later.

Best of the Rest

Updates from Axel on transfers, the stadium situation, and more.

Thomas Müller appeared to be enjoying himself during all the All Star Game festivities. He also took some time to weigh in on the relocation rumors.

The league’s owners will finally inch closer to overhauling the league’s salary cap and roster rules.

MLS owners will also vote on Don Gaber’s successor early next week.