VANCOUVER, B.C.—It is still early in his run with the Vancouver Whitecaps, but Colombian striker Fredy Montero seems to be fitting in well.
With four goals and one assist in seven MLS matches for the Whitecaps thus far, Montero is off to a flying start in Vancouver. He puts a lot of that success down to what his teammates offer him as a striker.
"My first impression is that the team is committed to a goal, which is trying to make, as soon as possible, the playoffs," Montero said. "[My teammates] are good with the ball at their feet. They can play and put the ball into any space that they want. We talk a lot during the week."
It's never easy for a player to move to a new club after having previously played for a fierce rival. Some Vancouver fans have seemed hesitant to welcome the former Seattle Sounders player with open arms. But the best way to win fans over is to perform on the pitch, and if you can score two goals in a win against your former team, like Montero did two weeks ago, then that also helps.
"It's taking time," Montero told reporters this week. "I think it's going okay, but I have the whole season to show people here in Vancouver that now I'm playing for this club and I want to give everything I have. It's going to be exciting, what this season is going to bring."
One teammate that has excited and particularly impressed Montero so far is 16-year-old Alphonso Davies. It's easy to get on the hype train for the exciting winger, but Montero feels that Davies has a bright future in the game.
"Alphonso is a special kid," Montero said. "I hope that the club and the fans and all the players around him show him the best way to keep growing. He jumped from the academy to the [first] team, which is something you don't often see. The key for him is to keep working. We're trying to talk to him every day.
"I'm impressed with the quality of the player that he is. I hope that he finishes high school soon so he can move forward and be focused, 100-percent, in soccer."
Montero has noticed that MLS has changed a bit in his five years away. The game is becoming faster and more attacki-minded, and the Colombian forward is glad to be back in a league that believes fits his style perfectly.
"MLS is improving, it's changing," Montero said. "Every season you see very good players coming here. From what I see, the game is gaining more speed. The referees are not calling too many fouls, which is important for the speed of the game.
"In every game you see more goals. I don't think we see that many 0-0 [scores] any more. That means the teams are going and attacking. It doesn't matter if they are at home or if they are playing away."
