When Kei Kamara returned to MAPFRE Stadium in a Columbus Crew SC jersey for the first time in more than seven years, he did it in style.
In his first home match for the Black & Gold since 2007, the striker scored and choreographed an already iconic goal celebration that involved three hardhats. It was a fitting tribute to the history of the club that gave Kamara his professional debut back in 2006.
Nine years later, Kamara's next match would be his 200th in Major League Soccer, and he can’t imagine a better place to reach that milestone than MAPFRE Stadium.
“That’s amazing, to be honest,” he says, “coming back here and being able to play for this club that made me a professional. If I am going to have my 200th game and it’s going to be at home, it’s going to be a special moment.”
There’s no shortage of special moments in Kamara’s career.
During his time in MLS with Crew SC, the San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City, the Sierra Leone international started in 153 of his 199 matches and logged more than 14,000 minutes. That’s nearly 10 full days of MLS action. During that time he recorded 56 goals and 24 assists.
“All the games I have played, I have cherished every single one of them, whether I started or came off the bench,” he says. “I have really enjoyed my time in MLS and I am just looking for maybe another 300 more [laughs].”
Kamara made his professional debut for the Black & Gold on April 1, 2006, after being chosen by Crew SC ninth overall at the MLS SuperDraft that year.
He remembers his first match vividly.
“My first appearance was against Kansas City and I scored a goal in my first appearance,” he says. “Hopefully I can make this 200th one a memorable one too.”
Judging by Kamara’s current form that’s likely. With four goals to his name already, Kamara is tied for second in MLS trailing only Vancouver’s Octavio Rivero. He leads the League in overall shots (28) and shots on goal (13).
But we haven’t seen the best of him yet, Kamara says.
“Right now I am enjoying it a little bit, but I feel like there’s still more I can give to the team and there’s still more the whole team can give,” he says. “I am definitely going to get more chances on goal and hopefully these chances become goals.”
Kamara is not shy about sharing his goals for the season.
“Win the championship. It’s simple,” he says. “Everybody is going to say that but, for me, I have been in this League for so long and haven’t won one of those.”
Kamara aims to find the back of the net as much as possible in pursuit of that goal.
“I am a striker and a striker wants to score goals,” he says. “If I can clinch that, if I can score a lot of goals this year, those goals are going to help the team.”
How Kamara plans to celebrate those goals, he didn’t say. But when he is not planning elaborate hardhat choreographies, he tends to resort to his trademark heart-shaped hands.
“I just love enjoying myself and I am happy the fans enjoy it,” he says. “Hopefully we can see lots more heat-shaped hands in the stadium soon.”
Watch some of Kamara's best goal celebrations:
Don't miss the opportunity to see Kei Kamara reach his milestone against the Philadelphia Union. Order your tickets for Saturday's match, which offers $1 beers and brats, here.
