If any Vancouver Whitecaps fans were disappointed not to see Fredy Montero in the starting XI against the New York Red Bulls on Thursday, they needn't have fretted – the team's flashy new acquisition still got his chance. And he came up big.
'Caps head coach Carl Robinson, who did hand a start to fellow fresh arrival Brek Shea in the decisive CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal second leg, instead brought on the newly-minted Designated Player in the 67th minute, with the 'Caps holding a narrow 1-0 advantage. It took him under 10 minutes to make his mark in a Whitecaps uniform:
Not only did the goal seal the 'Caps passage to the CCL semis, it should provide a measure of hope for 'Caps fans concerned about the team's goalscoring woes. Montero, who racked up 47 goals and 34 assists across 119 regular-season games during his first stint in the league with Seattle, was brought in this offseason with the express purpose of solving that issue.
Vancouver will also be encouraged by the attacking play of 16-year-old wunderkind Alphonso Davies, who netted the second goal of his young career earlier in the match. Their revamped offense will hit the field for the first time in MLS play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Union (9:30 pm ET | TSN1 in Canada, MLS LIVE in the USA).
