 Montero in July 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fredy Henkyer Montero Muñoz[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-07-26)26 July 1987 (age 37)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Campo de la Cruz, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Deportivo Cali | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2005 | Deportivo Cali | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2010 | Deportivo Cali | 65 | (22) |
| 2005 | →Academia (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | →Atlético Huila (loan) | 39 | (14) |
| 2009–2010 | →Seattle Sounders FC (loan) | 56 | (22) |
| 2011–2014 | Seattle Sounders FC | 63 | (25) |
| 2013 | →Millonarios (loan) | 22 | (8) |
| 2013–2014 | →Sporting CP (loan) | 16 | (13) |
| 2014–2016 | Sporting CP | 51 | (14) |
| 2016–2017 | Tianjin TEDA | 29 | (9) |
| 2017 | →Vancouver Whitecaps FC (loan) | 33 | (13) |
| 2018–2019 | Sporting CP | 20 | (3) |
| 2019–2020 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 48 | (13) |
| 2021–2023 | Seattle Sounders FC | 55 | (11) |
| 2024– | Deportivo Cali | 21 | (7) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007–2009 | Colombia | 4 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 December 2018 | |||
Fredy Henkyer Montero Muñoz (born 26 July 1987), known asFredy Montero (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈfɾeðimonˈteɾo], is a Colombian professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forDeportivo Cali. He was the all-time top scorer for theSeattle Sounders until being surpassed byRaúl Ruidíaz in2024. He scored 79 goals with the club across two stints: from 2009 to 2012, and from 2021 to 2023. Montero has been called up to theColombia national team five times, scoring once in an unofficial match againstCatalonia.
Montero began playing youth soccer atDeportivo Cali at age six. He earned his professional debut at age 18 in 2005 before being sent on loan toAcademia for the season. Montero was loaned toAtlético Huila for two additional years, becoming the league topscorer in the 2007 Torneo Apertura before returning to Deportivo Cali and becoming league top scorer for a second time in the 2008 Torneo Finalización.
Montero was loaned to the Major League Soccer expansion team Seattle Sounders in 2009, where he was named Newcomer of the Year and led the team in goals. Montero was sold to the Sounders in 2010 and became a Designated Player and apermanent resident of the United States. During his four seasons as a Sounders player, Montero was named to theMLS All-Star squad twice, playing againstEverton in 2009 and being named inactive in 2010.
Montero played for a number of years in Portugal atSporting CP; across two stints from 2013 to 2016 and 2018 to 2019, he netted 43 goals across all competitions forOs Leões. He also played in Canada forVancouver Whitecaps and in China forTianjin TEDA.
Montero was loaned toAtlético Huila in 2006, where he was named top goalscorer of the2007 Apertura, tied on 13 goals withSergio Galván Rey. Despite rumors and interest from European clubs,[citation needed] he returned toDeportivo Cali in 2007; he was again the top goalscorer, with 16 goals in the2008 Finalizacion.[2]
Montero was acquired bySeattle Sounders in January 2009 on loan from Deportivo Cali.[3] There were unconfirmed reports that suggested Montero's contract was owned by a third-party.[4] Montero adapted well to the club, scoring nine goals in nine preseason games. He made his MLS debut on 19 March 2009, in the 2009 season opener againstNew York Red Bulls, and scored the first and third goals in club history.[5] Montero was named the MLS Player of the Week for the first week of the 2009 MLS season for his two goals.[6] An additional goal againstReal Salt Lake helped Montero be named MLS Player of the Month for March 2009 as he won the first twoGoals of the Week.[7]
In April 2009, Montero told Sports Illustrated that he would like to play in Europe in the future and that the mix of players in MLS appealed to him as a place to learn.[8] He later dismissed a rumor of a transfer toFulham and told the press that he was focused on the Sounders.[9]
Montero was selected to the2009 MLS All-Star Game againstEverton and played during the first half alongside teammatesKasey Keller andJhon Kennedy Hurtado.[10] He would go on to be named the MLS Newcomer of the Year.[11][12] In August 2009, it was incorrectly reported that MLS had negotiated the transfer ofDeportivo Cali's portion of Montero's rights to Major League Soccer.[13] It was believed that the league owned his rights, but details of any such deal were never publicly clarified.[14]
Montero did not meet the high expectations of coach Schmid and the fans at the beginning of the2010. He was left out of the starting lineup for the ninth game of the year. By July, he was named player of the month and selected to the inactive roster of the2010 MLS All-Star Game.[15] A scheduling conflict between a teamCONCACAF Champions League match and the game made him unable to start in the exhibition game.[16] Montero earned his second career MLS Player of the Month in July 2010.[17] Although he failed to score a goal in league play between 1 September and the end of the season on 23 October,[18] Montero finished the year with 10 goals and 10 assists.[19] He totaled 12 goals, of which 6 were game-winners, and 11 assists in all competitions. A total of 22 goals and 17 assists in league play between 2009 and 2010 was the third most in the league.[20] Montero was also named as the top player in the MLS "24 Under 24" list, which honors players under 24 years old who perform well in MLS.[21]
On 1 December 2010, Seattle Sounders FC announced that Montero had agreed to a contract extension with his rights permanently transferred to the club andMajor League Soccer. He became the thirdDesignated Player and the highest paid player on the team with a base salary of $500,000.[18][22]
Before the second game of the2011 season, Montero fractured his wrist. He missed two matches and played with a cast that may have contributed to multiple matches of reduced performance. His play improved by midseason. Schmid attributed it to increased growth, maturity, and fitness. The addition ofMauro Rosales to the team's midfield also helped Montero in the second half of the season.[18] Montero ended the regular season of league play with 12 goals. He ended the year with 18 goals in all competitions. His goals scoring efforts made him the MLS player who scored the most goals across all competitive match in 2011. The Sounders won the2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Montero was named Player of the Tournament after scoring three game-winning goals in the final three games.[23]
Montero was officially loaned to Colombian championsMillonarios, playing in theCategoría Primera A, on 21 January 2013,[24][25] also signing a multi-year extension to his contract with the Sounders.[26]
Montero was loaned toPrimeira Liga sideSporting CP on 22 July 2013 for US$1.2 million with an option to buy.[27][28]On his debut for the Portuguese club, Montero scored a hat-trick against newly promoted sideArouca, in a 5–1 win in the first round of thePrimeira Liga season.[29] On 31 August, Montero opened the scoring with a header in a 1–1 draw with Lisbon rivalsBenfica at theAlvalade.[30] Montero was named theSJPF Player of the Month for the months of August and September, having scored nine goals in the first six games.[31]
On 30 January 2014, it was announced that Montero had signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Sporting for an additional $1.55 million transfer fee plus bonuses.[28][32] Montero scored his first goal for Sporting since December 2013, netting in a 4–0 win overPenafiel on 4 October 2014.[33]
On 6 February 2016, Montero transferred toChinese Super League sideTianjin TEDA for €5 million.[34][35]
On 15 February 2017, Montero transferred toMajor League Soccer sideVancouver Whitecaps on loan fromChinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA.[36]
On 17 January 2018, it was announced that Montero had returned toSporting CP on an 18-month contract.[37] Months later, on 15 May, he and several of his teammates, including coaches, were injured following an attack by around 50 supporters of Sporting at the club's training ground after the team finished third in the league and missed out on the UEFA Champions League qualification.[38][39] Despite the events, he and the rest of the team agreed to play in thePortuguese Cup final scheduled for the following weekend.[40]
On 15 February 2019, Montero and Sporting agreed to mutually terminate his contract with the club.[41] The same day, Vancouver announced he had joined the club on a permanent deal.[42]
On 4 March 2021, Montero re-joinedSeattle Sounders FC.[43] He had expressed a desire to return to the Seattle area and retire as a Sounder, while the club were in need of a new forward to replace the injuredJordan Morris. Montero retook the all-time scoring record for the Sounders in April 2021, surpassingClint Dempsey, and ended the season with two goals.[44] Following the 2021 season, Seattle declined their contract option on Montero.[45]
He returned on a new deal before the 2022 season.[46] That season, he played an important role in Seattle'sCONCACAF Champions League title, which led the board to resign him for the 2023 season.[47]
After his contract with Seattle Sounders expired at the end of the 2023 season, Montero's return toDeportivo Cali was announced on 2 April 2024.[48]
Montero received his firstinternational cap during a 4–0 win againstPanama on 9 May 2007, playing the final 13 minutes of the match atEstadio Rommel Fernández inPanama City.[2][49] In October 2008, he started and played 55 minutes in a 1–0World Cup qualifying loss toParaguay inBogotá.[4][50] The forward scored his first goal for Colombia in the 2nd minute ofextra time againstCatalonia on 29 December 2008 during a 2–1 loss atCamp Nou inBarcelona.[51] Montero last played for Colombia in a 2–1 loss againstVenezuela during afriendly on 12 August 2009.[52][53] Montero has expressed interest in returning to the national team but has failed to receive a call-up.[54]
Fredy was born to parents Fredy Montero Sr., a policeman, and Jaynne, who currently reside inBarranquilla, Colombia. He is the oldest of four children and has two sisters, Jaynne Jr. and Fyorella, as well as a brother named Luiggi.[52] Montero married his girlfriend Alexis Immig, aGig Harbor native, during a private ceremony in April 2012.[55] They have three daughters and live inBellevue, Washington.[44][56]
Montero was named MLS Humanitarian of the Month for March 2011 after raising over $29,000 to donate towards relief for victims of the2010 Colombian floods.[57][58] Montero threw out first pitch for theSeattle Mariners baseball team against theCleveland Indians on 21 August 2012, shortly after honoringFélix Hernández'sperfect game in his goal celebration against theVancouver Whitecaps FC.[59][60][61] Montero was also the subject of an episode of theMLS 36 documentary series that debuted on 10 August 2012. The episode filmed his preparations and gameplay during afriendly againstChelsea F.C. on 18 July 2012.[62] The episode revealed that his dog is named FIFA (after thegoverning body of the sport) and that Montero is a fan ofEA Sports'FIFA video game franchise.[63]
Montero gainedpermanent residency in the United States in 2010.[64] He was accused of sexual assault in April 2010, but the charges were dropped after a prosecutor found insufficient evidence.[65][66] He is a part-owner of Santo Coffee Company, a coffeeshop in Seattle'sRoosevelt neighborhood that opened in 2019.[67]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Deportivo Cali | 2005[68] | Primera A | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 2006[68] | Primera A | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2007[68] | Primera A | 17 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||||
| 2008[68] | Primera A | 38 | 19 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 1 | — | 40 | 20 | |||
| Total | 65 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 23 | ||
| Academia (loan) | 2005[68] | Primera B | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Atlético Huila (loan) | 2006[68] | Primera A | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | ||||
| 2007[68] | Primera A | 22 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 13 | |||||
| Total | 39 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 14 | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC (loan) | 2009[69] | MLS | 27 | 12 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 2[b] | 0 | 33 | 13 | ||
| 2010[70] | MLS | 29 | 10 | 3 | 1 | — | 6[c] | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | 40 | 12 | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2011[71] | MLS | 30 | 12 | 3 | 3 | — | 9[c] | 3 | 2[b] | 0 | 44 | 18 | |
| 2012[72] | MLS | 33 | 13 | 3 | 2 | — | 3[c] | 2 | 4[b] | 0 | 43 | 17 | ||
| Total | 119 | 47 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 160 | 60 | ||
| Millonarios (loan) | 2013[73] | Primera A | 22 | 8 | 5 | 2 | — | 5[d] | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 34 | 10 | |
| Sporting CP (loan) | 2013–14[73] | Primeira Liga | 29 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 13 | |
| Sporting CP | 2014–15[73] | Primeira Liga | 26 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7[f] | 0 | — | 37 | 15 | |
| 2015–16[73] | Primeira Liga | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6[g] | 3 | — | 22 | 6 | ||
| Total | 67 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 34 | ||
| Tianjin TEDA | 2016[73] | Chinese Super League | 29 | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 9 | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC (loan) | 2017[73] | MLS | 33 | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 1 | 3[b] | 1 | 39 | 15 | |
| Sporting CP | 2017–18[73] | Primeira Liga | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5[h] | 3 | — | 21 | 5 | |
| 2018–19[73] | Primeira Liga | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5[h] | 2 | — | 16 | 4 | ||
| Total | 20 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 9 | ||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2019[73] | MLS | 32 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1[b] | 0 | 33 | 8 | ||
| 2020[73] | MLS | 16 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 48 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 13 | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2021[73] | MLS | 16 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 467 | 162 | 28 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 51 | 16 | 16 | 1 | 571 | 192 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
Seattle Sounders FC
Sporting CP
Individual
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | MLS Newcomer of the Year Award 2009 | Succeeded by |