Forward depth: RSL has seven strikers on roster, but where do they stand?

We've rather consistently been talking about our forward depth over the last few days, and that's as good a reason as any to systematically explore our options.

After all, we've not only brought a new striker into the fold in Sebastian Jaime, but we've seen Alvaro Saborio return from a long injury layoff. Let's start from the top — make this a bit of a depth chart. It'll also help us explore 2015 a smidgen.

First-choice, always and forever: Alvaro Saborio

There are few strikers in this league who can top Alvaro Saborio's quality. For this reason, there's little chance he's ever outside the top spot. We will wonder, however, how long he has left in his legs — he's 33 and will be 34 right around the start of next season. How much longer could he reasonably go?

Joao Plata, second choice

There's little doubt that Joao Plata is perhaps the best striker we've had this season. Of course, he's been fit for most of the season, but his 11 goals have been a godsend. It's hard to see him dropping in consideration — he's only 22 years-old and really fantastic.

Sebastian Jaime, somewhere between third and fifth

Alright, we know this guy's going to be good, but it's really hard to know how he'll adapt this season. If he adapts quickly, he ends up around third — or, hey, potentially higher — or as low as fifth or sixth. Any dip seems short-term, though, because he's been brought in and studied to be very good.

Robbie Findley, somewhere around here

He's gone from not scoring goals this season to scoring a goal this season, so that's a good start. Robbie Findley has been a workhorse-like as anybody this season, and he's finally been rewarded for that in a game. His style's adjusted and that should provide him a good platform for the rest of his career — he can't always be a speedster, after all.

Olmes Garcia, maybe fourth, maybe fifth

Olmes Garcia is clearly a very good player, and he's one with time on his side. He's young, but he's getting plenty of minutes. He's inconsistent, but so many young players are, it's difficult to judge him for that. He's going to be important for us in the future, but for now, he'll be a nice off-the-bench threat.

Devon Sandoval

Having just been sent on a short-term loan to find his feet a bit at Carolina Railhawks, Devon Sandoval hasn't had a skyrocketing career so far. He's been a good build-up player but lacking a little with the final ball, but this is one of those cases where minutes are probably important to that.

Benji Lopez, 7th

He was never really likely to play this season, but Benji Lopez is around all the same. He spent much of his time on loan this season, and that will hopefully play well in the longer term.

Sebastian Saucedo, 8th

It's not really fair to include this kid in the depth chart because he's not even with the team yet, but if his academy and reserves performances are anything to go by, he's going to develop quite nicely. We'll see how his career develops — I'm just glad it's with us.