Coming into their January training camp, the Sounders had two of the best strikers in Major League Soccer (MLS).

The problem? It didn’t stay that way.

Over the last two seasons, Obafemi Martins led the Seattle Sounders in goals, with 17 in 2014 and 15 in 2015, despite only playing in 24 of 37 games last season.

A few weeks before the MLS season started, the Sounders transferred him to the up-and-coming and overpaying Chinese Super League. This left the Sounders without a viable replacement at the start of the season.

Currently, Seattle sits in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 2-4-1 record. The Sounders’ seven goals in seven games is good for 17th in the MLS.

In addition to losing the 15-goal production from Martins before the season’s start, the Sounders also lost six players in the offseason, who combined for another 15 goals.

The Sounders need a new identity on the fly. Who will step up this season to get Seattle in the playoffs for an eighth-consecutive season?

Clint Dempsey

Clint Dempsey was paired with Martins up top, and the two had tremendous chemistry. Dempsey scored 12 goals last season, which was second best on the team, and he is one of the most dangerous short free kickers in the MLS.

He only played in 23 games last season due to suspension, injury and being called up for U.S. Men’s National Team duty.

This season, Dempsey started out as one of three forwards in the Sounders’ new 4-3-3 formation, but has fallen back into more of an attacking midfielder role over the last few games.

Dempsey will get his goals, but the team will need more than 10 goals this season in order for the Sounders to have success.

This season, Dempsey only has one goal in MLS play so far, but scored two goals in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) champions league in February.

Jordan Morris

At this time last year, Jordan Morris was playing soccer for Stanford, and now the Mercer Island, Washington native is playing for his hometown team.

Morris was brought up through the Sounders Academy program and played three years of college soccer at Stanford. In his final season, he received the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the top collegiate soccer player. He decided to go pro as at the age of 21 and signed with the Sounders in the offseason.

He has played in all seven games so far, and scored a goal in the Sounders’ last two matches.

Dempsey moving to an attacking midfield role should give Morris a chance at his natural position of center forward at the top of the formation.

Andreas Ivanschitz

The left-footed Austrian midfielder was brought on last season as a free kick specialist while the Sounders were struggling at getting good looks during their set pieces.

While he is the guy taking all the corner kicks and putting all the long free kicks into the box, he is also a deadly combination with Dempsey in scoring on short free kicks.

Having both Ivanschitz and Dempsey lining up for free kicks should give the Sounders an air of unpredictability of who will take the kick, which would be an advantage against opposing goalies.

The squad

Obafemi Martins’ injuries and Clint Dempsey’s lengthy absence over the summer left the Sounders in need of scoring help last season, which was the reason for bringing in Nelson Valdez. He’s scored one regular season goal and one playoff goal in his career with the Sounders.

Valdez is a regular starting striker, but has not made much of an impact so far with only six shots in five games.

Defender Chad Marshall is not the usual type of scorer, but his height gives the 6-foot-4-inches center back a good chance to get his head on a ball and score on corner kicks. Currently Marshall has two goals and is tied for being the team’s leading scorer with Morris.

Roman Torres should have a similar impact as Marshall when he returns from an ACL surgery this summer.