Columbus Crew star Kei Kamarais supremely confident of scoring against the Portland Timbers in MLS Cup 2015, but it remains to be seen what his fitness level will be. Less than 24 hours after saying he didn't think the Timbers' defense was that tough, he left the Crew's practice at its EAS Training Center in suburban Obetz with a right leg injury.
Kamara left the field with a right leg injury after jumping and landing awkwardly. The Crew tweeted that his participation in the final will be a game-day decision.
"I haven't had a chance to assess it yet," said Crew coach Gregg Berhalter after practice. "So I'm going to go into the locker room and figure out what happened and figure out what the treatment is and if he's going to be available, but my guess right now is that he would be available."
Kamara's 22 goals tied with Toronto FC's Sebastian Giovinco for the regular-season scoring lead in 2015 and his three goals lead the playoffs. He scored the lone goal for Columbus when it fell to the Timbers, 2-1, at home in September.
"When we played them here, I scored a goal against them, so I don't think it was that tough," Kamara said at the pre-Cup press conference. "We just play our game. They have two good center backs. I give them a lot of credit, [Nat] Borchers and [Liam] Ridgewell, but at the same time, the way we play, we've scored a lot of goals, a lot of goals on the road, a lot of goals at home. When it comes to goals, that's nothing we really need to worry about."
Ridgewell likes the opportunity to go up against Kamara.
“I think it brings a very good matchup,” Ridgewell said. “We’ve had the most clean sheets on the season, and we’re matched up with the player who scored the most goals on the season. We had a very good match against him last time we were down here and we won, and it’s something we look forward to.”
Ridgewell says Kamara isn't alone among top MLS strikers.
“Every single week we come up against a great center forward, and every week someone has asked me, ‘You’re playing against Robbie Keane. You’re playing against Obafemi Martins. Now you’re playing against Kamara,’” Ridgewell said. "Someone might be able to jump more than someone else or might be quicker, but the tactics for me and Nat are always the same.”
"I haven't had a chance to assess it yet," said Crew coach Gregg Berhalter after practice. "So I'm going to go into the locker room and figure out what happened and figure out what the treatment is and if he's going to be available, but my guess right now is that he would be available."
Kamara's 22 goals tied with Toronto FC's Sebastian Giovinco for the regular-season scoring lead in 2015 and his three goals lead the playoffs. He scored the lone goal for Columbus when it fell to the Timbers, 2-1, at home in September.
"When we played them here, I scored a goal against them, so I don't think it was that tough," Kamara said at the pre-Cup press conference. "We just play our game. They have two good center backs. I give them a lot of credit, [Nat] Borchers and [Liam] Ridgewell, but at the same time, the way we play, we've scored a lot of goals, a lot of goals on the road, a lot of goals at home. When it comes to goals, that's nothing we really need to worry about."
Ridgewell likes the opportunity to go up against Kamara.
“I think it brings a very good matchup,” Ridgewell said. “We’ve had the most clean sheets on the season, and we’re matched up with the player who scored the most goals on the season. We had a very good match against him last time we were down here and we won, and it’s something we look forward to.”
Ridgewell says Kamara isn't alone among top MLS strikers.
“Every single week we come up against a great center forward, and every week someone has asked me, ‘You’re playing against Robbie Keane. You’re playing against Obafemi Martins. Now you’re playing against Kamara,’” Ridgewell said. "Someone might be able to jump more than someone else or might be quicker, but the tactics for me and Nat are always the same.”
If Kamara cannot play or must be substituted, his likely replacement is Jack McInerney, who was acquired from Montreal in August. McInerney scored two goals and added one assist in five regular-season games (two starts) for the Crew.
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