Sounders FC’s Montero is MLS Newcomer of the Year
Published 11:04 am Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Seattle Sounders FC forward Fredy Montero has been named Major League Soccer’s 2009 Newcomer of the Year.
The announcement was made Tuesday morning.
Montero finished tied for third in the league in goals (12) and game-winning goals (four), and led MLS in shots (86) and was seventh in attempts on goal (32). He also scored the first goal in the Sounders FC’s 2-1 victory over D.C. United in the championship game of U.S. Open Cup.
Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg were the other finalists for the award.
“This is a great honor for Fredy because he faced some formidable competition for the award within our own team,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said in a statement released by the team. “He had a great first season in MLS, and we’re very proud of his accomplishment.”
Montero, 22, came to Sounders FC from Deportivo Cali. He twice led the Colombian First Division in scoring.
The Newcomer of the Year award honors a player who is in his first season in Major League Soccer but has prior professional experience, making him ineligible for the Rookie of the Year award. The award’s most recent recipients were D.C. United’s Luciano Emilio (2007) and San Jose’s Darren Huckerby (2008).
