The thing about a piece of art is that it's value is not entirely quantifiable. Sure, you can put a price on it, but any number of people can disagree on its true worth.
Fredy Montero was somewhat similar. Sure, we can point at his 47 goals and 33 assists in four seasons of MLS play as quantifiable assets.
If you get a Fox Sports Net affiliate (Root Sports in Seattle is carrying it) or Fox Soccer + (in middle of a nine day free trial on most providers) you can watch Porto and Malaga in the UEFA Champions League action at 11:45 AM for kickoff. While Javier Saviola is not starting, there is a decent chance he gets some play as they should need goals.
While most of the scuttle about Montero is about his pending (not really pending just still not quite final) loan to Millonarios let's took a look at how Fredy Montero played in 2012.
Fredy Montero's time with the Seattle Sounders is over. At least for now.
Montero revealed he would be leaving Seattle on Twitter on Wednesday, all but confirming SBI's report that the Designated Player would be heading to Colombian club Millonarios on a six-month loan.
At this point, Fredy Montero's loan to Millonarios is all but a foregone conclusion. All indications are that an official announcement could come as soon as next week. The exact terms of the deal are still a bit of a mystery, but we can assume that Montero won't be playing for the Sounders in 2013 (although he could be back after that).
Today at FutbolRed.com they have a source claiming that MLS agreed to terms with Millonarios (Spanish) for a six-month loan of Fredy Montero with an option to buy set at 4.5 Million dollars. The deal as reported seems to meet financial thresholds that would open a Designated Player slot and add Allocation Money to the Sounders coffers.
This was pointed out to me over twitter on Christmas, and since it was Christmas I didn't address it. It is a story on a Colombian site that points out that Millionarios wants Fredy Montero to join them in their Copa Libertadores run. It adds on an interview with Fredy Montero.
SOUNDERS FC 3 0 PORTLAND TIMBERS Danso (AG) 25´ JOHNSON 28´ MONTERO 62´ Ante un lleno impresionante de 66,452 personas en el CenturyLink Field, ( la segunda mejor entrada para un partido regular de la MLS) los Sounders FC aplastaron al Portland Timbers, sus máximos rivales y vecinos, para adelantarse a los Galaxy de [.
The departure of Fredy Montero has created a rather enormous void, both in terms of production and tactics. As much talent as the Seattle Sounders have on their current roster -- and make no mistake, it's ample -- there is not a ready-made replacement for the player around whom this team's tactics were designed.
#17, Fredy Montero, the Columbian charismatic forward of the Seattle Sounders, has been transferred to a Columbian club team for the 2013 season. This is not a good move for the Sounders or MLS.
Surely, the Sounders have been compensated well for Montero, but was it absolutely necessary to give Montero up for the season?
Fredy Montero will spend 2013 with Millonarios, the Colombian league champions, on loan for the year from Seattle Sounders FC the team announced via press release Monday morning. A new twist to the long saga emerged as the team announced it reached a multi-year contract extension with Montero as well.
No, the Seattle Sounders still haven't formally announced that Fredy Montero has joined Millonarios on loan, but a pair of Tweets today make it clear that an official announcement is imminent. Montero, himself, tweeted out a message that implied that the formal announcement will be made on Monday and a Colombian journalist sent out a photo of Montero wearing a Millonarios jersey.
The most recent report of out Colombia is that Fredy Montero is still a Seattle Sounders player, but will be loaned to Millonarios for 2013 with an option to buy. The report claims that Montero will join Millos on January 10th to train for the league season and the Copa Libertadores.
Sounders FC have yet to make an official statement on the long rumored deal.
Although Seattle Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer would not comment specifically on Fredy Montero's reported loan to Colombian club Millonarios, he did tell Sounder at Heart on Friday that any loss of a Designated Player would only be done if the corresponding roster spot was opened up.
Hanauer also reiterated that the Sounders are willing to make drastic roster changes if they believe those moves will help them compete for MLS Cup this year.
On the surface, the idea of losing Fredy Montero seems pretty close to intolerable for any green-blooded Seattle Sounders fan. Since arriving in 2009, he's been their most consistent offensive threat and one of the most talented players in MLS. His departure will surely leave a huge hole, at least in the short term and based on the players that are currently here.
A couple of interesting rumors involving the Seattle Sounders made the news on Thursday. The first involved 29-year-old Spanish midfielder Joan Verdú, who plays for Espanyol in La Liga. Verdú, who the Sounders previously expressed interest in signing, reportedly said [...]
Fredy Montero just cannot get it going when things matter most.
Playing in his ninth playoff game for the Seattle Sounders on Sunday, Montero once again was held scoreless in a disappointing performance in a 3-0 defeat to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinals series.
With 66,452 people watching from the stands Sunday evening, the Seattle Sounders dominated their fiercest rivals and moved into third place in the Western Conference.
Eddie Johnson and Fredy Montero each found the back of the net in a 3-0 win against the Portland Timbers. With the result, the Sounders will win the Cascadia Cup unless the Timbers can defeat the Vancouver Whitecaps on Oct.
During the last meeting with Chivas USA the Seattle Sounders had trouble defending them within
the 18. That problem did not occur Saturday, in fact the defense held the Goats to just six shots
and or passes in the penalty area. That defensive improvement held Chivas to just one goal. What
may have gone unnoticed is that in the previous match with six goals for the Sounders they had 11
Key Passes plus Assists.
SEATTLE, Wash. - They play the games for a reason, and for 88 minutes Saturday afternoon
swooning Chivas USA (7-12-7) looked like it might defy the odds and earn a draw with the Seattle
Sounders (13-6-8).
But this late in the season there are also reasons why some teams are fighting for the
Supporters' Shield while others watch their playoff hopes dwindle away.
The one thing missing from the Seattle Sounders' arsenal this year has been the ability to score
a come-from-behind victory. Thanks to a pair of goals from Eddie Johnson, that's no longer an
issue.
Johnson scored a brace, with the game-winner coming on a 89th minute header from a Fredy Montero
assist, as the Sounders beat Chivas USA 2-1 on Saturday.
Just two weeks ago the scouting report on Chivas was that they were a miserly team that didn't
score much but didn't allow many goals either. So naturally their following game versus the Seattle
Sounders featured 8 goals, including Fredy Montero's first hat trick and some pretty unimpressive
defending from Seattle that meant a 10 goal game wouldn't have been unthinkable.
The sunny day at Starfire Sports complex was most notable because of the presence of Eidur
Gudjohnsen. He's tall and a bit broad, but not unusually so when amongst MLS players. Standing next
to Eddie Johnson early in the session he looked similar though maybe not quite as fit. This may be
more of a testament to EJ's incredible build than a knock on Eidur.
The big news this week was the return of Steve Zakuani to the Seattle Sounders' starting lineup.
Zakuani was in the starting lineup exactly 500 days after he had his leg snapped by a reckless
Brian Mullan tackle and didn't look much worse for wear. Aaron and I come away believing he's much
closer to being full strength than we suspected he'd be after he picked up an assist in Sunday's
tie against FC Dallas.
I have two more years on my contract in Seattle. Everything else is rumors, but I guess it means
you are a good player and doing good things for people from Europe to be looking for someone to
help their teams. Being one of them, for me, means there are good professional opportunities.
An already deep Seattle Sounders squad will get a little bit deeper in the coming weeks. David
Estrada, who hasn't played since May 26 after breaking his foot, has been cleared practice,
Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said during a Friday teleconference.
"David Estrada showed that he's healing well so they cleared him to start up training again,"
Schmid said.
It seems funny to think about it now, but not that long ago there was some serious concerns
about the Seattle Sounders' offense and their supposed lack of depth. Funny how a couple moves,
along with some key players returning to health, can change perceptions.
The Sounders now sit on 65 goals scored through 34 competitive matches following their
second-three goal performance in CONCACAF Champions League play.
The Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders both went on the road in CONCACAF Champions League group
action on Thursday night and both are coming back to the USA with points in the bag.
The Sounders sent a young squad to Trinidad & Tobago and came back with an impressive 3-1 win
over Caledonia AIA courtesy of goals from Fredy Montero, Alex Caskey and Sammy Ochoa.
Dealing with recent travel problems, wet & heavy grass and the peculiarities of CONCACAF
officiating the Seattle Sounders pushed by Caledonia AIA in a game that in many ways was a
repetition of the last meeting. Three goals for the Sounders v one pk goal by the Trinidad side.
Scoring was opened by Alex Caskey on assists by Zach Scott and Sammy Ochoa.
As the Seattle Sounders took their long journey to Trinidad to continue their quest for the
2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League title they will be doing it in a small stadium with high
humidity, low 80s and partly cloudy weather. They are in foreign lands, nearly as far away as they
can be from Seattle as can be in competitive matches.
Making Waves: Rising MLS talent that will draw European interest - originally posted on
Soccerlens.com
With the recent EPL debut of Houston Dynamo product Geoff Cameron an undeniable success (he
received "Man of the Match" honors in Stoke City's scoreless draw against Arsenal), we now look to
the next batch of MLS-ers poised and postured to eventually make similar hops across the pond.
Montreal midfielder Patrice Bernier is Major League Soccer's Player of the Month for August, MLS
announced on Tuesday. Montreal was a perfect 4-0-0 over the month with Bernier scoring three times
with three assists. Bernier got eight of the 19 votes, tying Seattle's Fredy Montero. Bernier got
the nod with five 2nd-choice votes to Montero's four.
Few new signings, let alone Designated Players, have come into MLS and had the immediate impact
along the lines of what Federico Higuain has had with the Columbus Crew.
Higuain netted three goals and four assists in four matches in his first month in MLS, leading
the surging Crew to a 3-0-1 record in that time and making him a natural selection for SBI's MLS
Player of the Month for August.
At the Larry Gomes Stadium in Trinidad & Tobago, Seattle had little trouble with Caledonia in a 3-1
win in the CONCACAF Champions League. Seattle's Alex Caskey opened the scoring in the 45th and it
was 2-0 when Samuel Ochoa scored in the 60th minute. Caledonia got a goal back in the 67th, but
Fredy Montero scored Seattle's third two minutes later.
During the recent Sounders scoring draught, it isn't unreasonable to look to the guy who led the team in goals for three of their four years. FREDY... Montero. Would this team's terrible luck tickling the back of the net continue with Montero up top? Possibly. He has scored only three goals in his nine starts with Millionarios, and didn't get on the board in their most recent match against Santa Fe.
SEATTLE, Wash. - The Seattle Sounders capitalized on an electric atmosphere and a Portland Timbers' own goal Sunday night at CenturyLink Field, topping their fierce Interstate 5 rivals 3-0 to assume third place in the Western Conference.
In what many Northwesterners probably felt was a lock Fredy Montero did not finish his August
run with perfection. His six goals, 1 assist and 3-1-0 record in league matches wasn't enough to
earn the Player of the Month award. Instead, Patrice Bernier 3/3/4-0-0 edged past Montero. A single
voter changing their mind for first or maybe even for second would have been enough.
EA SPORTS will be creating custom covers with players from each of your favorite MLS Clubs.
Three of these players will join the winner of MLS's 24 under 24 on the custom MLS FIFA 13 cover.
Which three of the following players do you think deserves the honor of being on the cover?
