Seattle Sounders: Fredy’s Back as Worst Nightmare Comes True
By Paul Taylor
Former fan favorite Fredy Montero scores twice, to hand the Seattle Sounders their second loss of the season.
You couldn’t have scripted it any worse for the Seattle Sounders on Friday night. Dealing with their own version of “Nightmare on Elm Street”, someone called Fred(d)y came back to haunt the Rave Green.
Hopefully this is one nightmare the Sounders will wake up from – it’s still early in the season. For now though, they will have to live with the fact they lost as a result of two strikes from their all-time leading goal scorer, Fredy Montero.
Statistically speaking, the Sounders dominated this Cascadia Cup clash against the Vancouver Whitecaps. They held a significant advantage in possession (nearly 62 percent) and corners (10-2), while also having the edge in shots (15-11).
However, the Sounders were unable to make it count where it mattered most, i.e. on the score sheet. Ironically, Montero likely would have been just the man to provide them with the cutting edge they sorely missed at BC Place.
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The visitors’ missed opportunities were best highlighted by Clint Dempsey, who currently sits second behind Montero on the Sounders’ all-time goal scoring charts. Adding to the nightmare and irony of this entire situation, Dempsey was denied by the crossbar, the post and a late goal line clearance.
In truth though, the damage was already done when the Rave Green finally scored in the 90th minute, courtesy of Will Bruin. This was Fredy’s night, and in a bizarre kind of way, maybe that was how it was always meant to turn out.
Not that this makes it hurt any less for Sounders’ fans. Some may be happy for Montero on an individual level, but the 2-1 loss sees their team’s early season struggles continue, with just one win in the opening six games.
If nothing else, at least the former fan favorite didn’t rub anyone’s nose in the dirt. The two-time MLS All-Star vowed not to celebrate any goals, out of respect to Sounders’ fans, and for the most part he kept that promise.
Sounders’ head coach Brian Schmetzer lamented the missed opportunities after the game. As reported by Andrew Harvey of SportspressNW, Schmetzer said:
"“We had the ball there (at goal). Credit Ousted, credit their defense, credit them getting a timely goal to throw us off. At 1-0, we’re not panicking, but at 2-0, that’s a tough thing. We’ve got to figure out ways to not let teams off the hook when we’re dominating on some stats that don’t mean as much as the scoreline.”"
The two sides will renew hostilities August 23 in Vancouver. The question is, will the Sounders gain revenge, or suffer another nightmare at the hands (feet) of Montero?
Next: Sounders Await Update on Roman Torres' Injury
Understandably for Sounders’ fans, it stings to have your former fan favorite score twice against your team. However, does it impact Montero’s legacy in respect of what he previously achieved in Seattle? Share your thoughts in the comments section.