Kei Kamara scored a brace Wednesday night to lead Columbus Crew SC to a 2-2 result with Vancouver. Photo/Greg Bartram (Columbus Crew SC)
[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ei Kamara scored a brace Wednesday night to keep Columbus Crew SC in the match with white-hot Vancouver Whitecaps, finishing in a 2-2 draw and earning a point per side.
While Vancouver entered the match with a four-game winning streak in MLS action this season, that streak was brought to an end by Kamara’s two-goal performance. The Whitecaps now stand at 4-1-1; 13 points to stay atop the Western Conference and the Supporters’ Shield standings. Crew SC is now 1-2-1; 4 points in the Eastern Conference at seventh place.
“I think overall it was a positive match for us and a good performance,” Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter said following the match’s conclusion. “We had a game plan and by-and-large we executed that game plan.”
Kamara struck first in the match, giving the Black and Gold an early 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. Ethan Finlay carried the ball down field before passing it to Kamara, who then returned it. Under pressure, Finlay stopped the ball and kicked it back into open field, allowing Kamara to close in and put the ball past ‘Caps goalkeeper David Ousted.
The lead would last just seven minutes for Crew SC, however. Darren Mattocks tossed the ball in to Octavio Rivero, who then easily shook of Michael Parkhurst and fired a low shot home past Crew SC keeper Steve Clark.
Vancouver dominated Columbus throughout the contest, maintaining possession for 62.4-percent of the time and outshooting Crew SC 22 to 15 with an 8 to 5 advantage on goal.
The Whitecaps threatened to score numerous times throughout the night, but it would be Kamara again who would open scoring in the second half.
Five minutes into the half, Justin Meram intercepted a poor kick by Ousted and fed the ball to Kamara, who stood 10 yards out from goal. Kamara would side-foot the ball home to retake the lead at 2-1 for Columbus.
“It’s my job, it’s what I do,” Kamara said of his two-goal performance. “Obviously, it’s good to do it at the right time for the team and putting us in a good position. It still could have been better. I felt like we could have been a lot better today against Vancouver.”
As in the first half, Kamara’s second goal ignited a fury in the Whitecaps that saw them once again notch a tying goal.
Pressure from Vancouver came in waves before Mattocks would notch his first goal of the season and final of the match.
In the 64th minute, Kekuta Manneh charged in and hit the end line before cutting a pass back to Mattocks, who would put the ball away for a 2-2 tally.
The Whitecaps would keep building pressure against Crew SC, but both sides stood firm to finish out the match 2-2.
Kamara and Ethan Finlay nearly took the lead late for Crew SC, but Ousted was quick enough to stop the attack.
“He’s a very good player. He got some good chances and finished,” Berhalter said of the Sierra Leone international, Kamara. “When we can get him in positions like that we know he can score. So overall, we’re pleased with his performance and he showed a lot today.”
Columbus will return east as they prepare for a quick turnaround to face New England Revolution Saturday afternoon.
“It is what it is,” Berhalter said. “It’s our schedule and we have to deal with it. It’s obviously not the easiest.”
