OBETZ, Ohio – When Kei Kamara scored the opener in Columbus Crew SC’s 2-1 win over the Montreal Impact on Nov. 8, it was the MLS veteran’s first postseason goal since 2008, when he was a member of the Houston Dynamo.
Since breaking his seven-year drought, Kamara has added two more goals, including a dramatic series-winner in the same Montreal game and an 85th-minute finish for his first goal against the New York Red Bulls this season in Crew SC’s 2-0 win last weekend.
With three Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs goals now under his belt this season, the striker may as well have a different name on the back of his jersey.
“That was a different me,” Kamara said of his old self. “Right now, I’m a different player.”
For Crew SC head coach Gregg Berhalter, the key to Kamara’s successful postseason has been his reaction to being shut out against the Impact in the first leg of their conference semifinals series.
“Since then, he’s stepped up to a level that we expect from him,” Berhalter said. “He’s leading by example, he’s physical, he’s winning his challenges, he’s holding the ball up, he’s bringing other people into play. He’s done a great job.
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“You love to see reaction from guys when they’re not happy, when they’re not satisfied,” Berhalter later added. “We’re certainly seeing a reaction from Kei.”
Berhalter said he had a conversation with Kamara, and reminded him that it’s no different to score in the playoffs than it is in the regular season.
That talk worked apparently, as Kamara has added three more goals to his 22 in the regular season. His production has helped Crew SC sit pretty in the Eastern Conference Championship, where they are up 2-0 on the Red Bulls going into Sunday's decisive leg at Red Bull Arena (7:30 pm ET, FS1, Fox Deportes, MLS LIVE).
Still, the forward's mindset with regards to the type of goals he is scoring has stayed mostly the same.
“It’s not really looking at saying they’re playoff goals for me. It’s just looking at continuing to score goals,” he said. “That’s how it feels for me. It’s good to be scoring goals that mean a lot more than in the regular season, but it’s not really saying they’re playoff goals. It’s just looking at continuing what I’ve been doing and continuing to score more goals.”
As Crew SC near an MLS Cup Final berth, Kamara says he’s not feeling the pressure. He has said all year that his role is to play the best soccer he can, with his teammates picking up the slack when needed.
And that still rings true.
“Just the same as the whole year has been going, I haven’t felt pressure because I know and I believe that a lot more guys on the team can score goals,” he said. “So when everybody says, 'You haven’t scored a goal on New York,' and all this, I say, ‘That’s fine.’ As long as we can win the games, I’m fine.”
That approach may not have fit the brash forward in his younger days. But with years of experience, a family and a new outlook on the game, Kamara says he’s a better version of himself.
“To be honest, that was a problem when I was here the first time around,” he said. “I just wanted to score goals and not worry about anything else, which definitely was selfish.”
