Kei Kamara is Not Satisfied with Career Season

For Kei Kamara, scoring two goals has become normal.

Four times this season the Columbus Crew SC striker has found the back of the net twice in a game, including Wednesday's 2-1 win over the New England Revolution.

"We're pretty disappointed in him right now," Crew SC teammate Justin Meram said of Kamara after the win. "Because he's always getting two and not three. I think he needs to step it up a little bit; two goals is just unacceptable now."

Meram's comments were made in jest after another dominating performance by Kamara, but the striker is well aware that he's yet to get more than two goals in a game in his MLS career.

"It's not three," Kamara said when asked about his Wednesday performance. "Everybody says that I'm not use to scoring one, I just get two and then that's it, but I enjoy getting balls in the back of the net."

It's not as if Kamara didn't have the chances to score more than two on Wednesday. The 30-year old front man led Columbus in shots against the Revolution with five of the team's 10, three of which were on goal.

"I think, again, he could have had more, right, if you look at the game and it's great," head coach Gregg Berhalter said of Kamara after the match. "I think that he's aggressive around the box, he wants to score, and that's the best thing. He truly wants to put the ball in the back of the net and he has that urgency and that desire and that goes a long way."

Kamara is yet to score a hat trick, but he is having a record-breaking and career year for the Black & Gold. Kamara began the fastest player in Crew SC history to score 10 goals in a season, doing so in 12 games (one faster than Guillermo Barros Schelotto). The 12 goals scored by Kamara is not only the most in Major League Soccer - four ahead of Sebastian Giovinco, Kaka, and Chris Wondolowski - but the most of his MLS career.

Some of that is due to Kamara's experience and growth as a player, but also the style of Crew SC.

Under Berhalter, Columbus plays an open, attacking style that gives the forward chances in front of goal.

Last season, the combination of Jairo Arrieta, Dominic Oduro, Aaron Schoenfeld, and Adam Bedell combined for 97 shots as Berhalter searched for his go-to striker. Creative midfielder Federico Higuain, who scored 11 goals, had 73 shots himself.

In 16 games this season, Kamara already has 69 shots, as his positioning and movement the cemented his spot up top for Berhalter.

"I think the movement," the head coach said on Wednesday of what's made Kamara so dangerous. "We want him stretching the opponent's backline, we want him being physical, being mobile and he certainly was tonight.

"He truly wants to put the ball in the back of the net and he has that urgency and that desire and that goes a long way."

That desire is why Kamara is disappointed with his two-goal performances. So how much is he pushing for his first MLS hat trick?

"A lot," he said on Wednesday. "I thought it was going to come against New England because for some reason, I've scored half of my career goals on New England.

"For me, I want to get the third, I want to get the fourth."

Kamara wants to score more than two goals in a game, but four braces on the season is impressive. It is not lost on the striker that his best year is taking place where his career began after he was drafted by Columbus in 2006.

"It's going to sound like an echo," he said. "For me, for that to happen where I started my career with Columbus. I'm more than happy with that. So yeah, it does. It is my best season so far."

Saturday's game with Real Salt Lake marks the halfway point of the season for Crew SC. Can Kamara maintain this pace and continue to build on his career season? He certainly believes he can.

"Oh, why not," Kamara asked with a laugh. "If the team can play the way we're playing, definitely. I just keep working, keep doing my stuff. I enjoy scoring goals. I'm definitely going to keep going."