Kei Kamara‘s failed penalty kick attempt in the 68th minute of Sunday’s Eastern Conference semifinal second leg — his first from the spot all season — stood as the decisive moment in Columbus Crew SC’s season for 10 excruciating minutes after Montreal Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush read his run-up and poor attempt all the way.
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Kamara had already scored a potentially semifinal-winning goals for Crew SC — first in the 4th minute for a 2-2 (away goals) aggregate lead (below video) — something he would have to do once more to erase his own mistake, and did — a wonderfully lobbed header in the 111th minute for the 4-3 aggregate victory (above video).
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The 31-year-old Sierra Leonean striker scored 22 goals during the regular season — double that of his previous career-high — yet managed to come up even bigger for his team in the playoffs, when it mattered most, when it was his own wrong needing to be set right.
MLS Players of the Week
Week 1: Tyler Deric, Houston Dynamo
Week 2: Chris Wondolowski, San Jose Earthquakes
Week 3: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
Week 4: Kaka, Orlando City SC
Week 5: Harrison Shipp, Chicago Fire
Week 6: Jaime Penedo, LA Galaxy
Week 7: Fabian Castillo, FC Dallas
Week 8: Ethan Finlay, Columbus Crew SC
Week 9: Fabian Castillo, FC Dallas
Week 10: Mauro Diaz, FC Dallas
Week 11: Chad Barrett, Seattle Sounders
Week 12: Kei Kamara, Columbus Crew SC
Week 13: Krisztian Nemeth, Sporting Kansas City
Week 14: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
Week 15: David Villa, New York City FC
Week 16: Matias Perez Garcia, San Jose Earthquakes
Week 17: Darlington Nagbe, Portland Timbers
Week 18: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
Week 21: Cyle Larin, Orlando City SC
Week 23: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
Week 24: Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy
Week 25: Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy
Week 26: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
Week 27: Didier Drogba, Montreal Impact
Week 28: Kei Kamara, Columbus Crew SC
Week 29: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
Week 30: Cyle Larin, Orlando City SC
Week 31: Tim Melia, Sporting Kansas City
Week 33: Mauro Diaz, FC Dallas
Week 34: Darlington Nagbe, Portland Timbers