On Wednesday evening, former Sounders star Fredy Montero is set to make his return to Seattle when his Vancouver Whitecaps FC take on the Sounders (7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, ROOT Sports outside Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS). It will be a bittersweet moment for the home crowd, as the club’s beloved all-time leading goalscorer makes his first appearance at CenturyLink Field since 2012, while playing for a first-place rival that sits four points ahead of Seattle on the Western Conference table. Furthermore, Montero has already netted three goals against the Sounders in a pair of matches at Vancouver’s BC place.
Ahead of his emotional return, Montero wrote a piece in The Players’ Tribune. Fittingly titled “Cascadian Man,” the first-person article discusses him scoring the club’s first MLS goal, meeting his wife in Seattle, making the hard decision to leave the Rave Green and, ultimately, returning to MLS. Montero also shares his nervous anticipation of playing as a visitor at CenturyLink Field:
“This week I’m preparing to play a club that holds a special place in my heart. And I pray that, maybe just a little, the club feels the same way about me. I will have lots of family and friends in the stands at CenturyLink Field, some in Sounders jerseys and some in Whitecaps jerseys. And that’s O.K. I’m proud of my time in Seattle.”
Montero, 30, originally joined Seattle in January 2009 on loan from Colombian side Deportivo Cali. The Sounders officially signed him the following offseason, and the flashy forward played in MLS for four seasons. In 119 league appearances, Montero recorded a club-record 47 goals, while his 34 assists rank tied for first alongside midfielder Mauro Rosales. After setting MLS ablaze, Montero spent one season with Colombia’s Milonarios, three seasons with Sporting Lisbon and Portugal, and competed in the Chinese Super League in 2016 before signing with Vancouver earlier this year.
In 29 MLS matches this season, Montero has 13 goals and six assists.
