Fredy Montero was already a Seattle Sounders club legend even before he re-joined the Rave Green ahead the 2021 season, but with a standout run of form in Seattle’s journey to the upcoming Concacaf Champions League Final, that status has only been reinforced.
During the early stages of this CCL run, the Sounders found themselves stretched thin on the forward depth chart, with Raúl Ruidíaz and Will Bruin each sidelined with early-season injuries. In stepped Montero, the club’s all-time leading goal-scorer, leading the line for Seattle once again on their chase for CCL immortality.
The wily veteran stepped up huge, netting three goals, including a pair of ice-cold penalty kicks, one of which effectively clinched Seattle’s CCL Quarterfinals victory over Liga MX foe Club León in the away leg at Estadio León.
“We wouldn’t be in the CCL Final without Fredy,” Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said. “He did a lot of heavy lifting when Raúl and Will were gone. He’s great in the locker room, still can do the job on the field, still can score some goals. So we’re really pleased that he re-signed.”
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The three goals give Montero 10 for his career in CCL play, tied for the most of any MLS player in the history of the competition.
That level of consistency, which stretches back to Montero’s distinguished first stint in Seattle from 2009-2014, is exactly what General Manager and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey had in mind when he brought Montero back to Seattle last season after seven years away from the club.
On top of the on-field production, Lagerwey said that been-there-done-that quality allows him to take on a leadership role that is critical to making sustained runs in these high-stakes competitions.
“It’s experience that Fredy brings,” Lagerwey said. “When you have the all-time leading scorer in a competition, you know he’s gotten it done over a long period of time and done it consistently. That’s somebody that can only help on and off the field, help steady the group.”
Wednesday’s CCL Final first leg at Pumas UNAM might well provide another opportunity for Montero to make his mark, whether it’s as a starter or coming in as a sparkplug substitute.
Playing a road match against a Liga MX opponent in a hostile environment, veteran leadership becomes paramount, with Montero joining the likes of Ruidíaz, Nicolás Lodeiro, Jordan Morris, João Paulo, Stefan Frei and Cristian Roldan as players that will be tasked with providing just that.
“In these moments now, where we’re going to play a road game in a championship final, these are games that Fredy’s played in,” Lagerwey said. “Hopefully he can help the younger guys and help the group as a whole prepare in addition to what he brings on the field.”
