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Fredy Montero sat down at the podium, taking his chance to be Mr. Whitecap for once.

“Hold on, I’ve always wanted to do this. I see Rusty do this when he comes here,” he said Friday night at B.C. Place Stadium with a smile, taking an exaggerated swig from a bottle of water before answering the first question.

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“It’s my first time here — I’m excited.”

It was the second assist of sorts from Russell Teibert, the ever-present face of the franchise, who also assisted on Montero’s ninth-minute goal in Friday’s 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers.

It was also a change in demeanour for Montero. He flipped from frustrated forward to relaxed funnyman.

The pent-up feelings and vexation that had bubbled just under the surface for the first nine games of the Major League Soccer season dissipated after his one-goal, one-assist performance in last week’s 3-2 win over Colorado, but to score in front of his home fans, in a derby rivalry, almost served as a final emotional release.