Union fall to Crew, 2-1
The Columbus Crew's Kei Kamara leaped for a contested ball less than seven minutes into the game against the Union on Saturday night and didn't immediately get up.
The Columbus Crew's Kei Kamara leaped for a contested ball less than seven minutes into the game against the Union on Saturday night and didn't immediately get up.
He received some medical attention; limped to the Columbus bench at PPL Park; and, after almost two minutes, returned to his forward position on the field.
That was the only time Kamara was down all night. Over the ensuing 20 minutes, he delivered two goals and a significant blow to the Union's playoffs hopes in Columbus' 2-1 win.
The loss dropped the Union to 8-15-6 on the season. At the conclusion, they were a point behind sixth-place Montreal, which owns the final playoff spot, with five games to go. Montreal played in Los Angeles on Saturday night; by Sunday Montreal will have four games in hand on the Union.
"We were beat by a better team tonight," Union coach Jim Curtin said. "Columbus is very good. They pushed the tempo, especially in the first half, and we didn't have a lot of answers."
Kamara lunged at a loose ball and headed in his MLS-best 19th goal in the 21st minute. Just five minutes later, he slid feet first and tapped in a cross from Harrison Afful for his 20th goal.
"Kei, for me, is a confident forward and the top forward in our league," Curtin said.
The Union made a second-half push, firing 13 of their 16 shots after break, including six on net.
In the 66th minute, Sebastien Le Toux took a pass down the right side from Conor Casey before he slid a cross to C.J. Sapong. Sapong tapped in his team-best eighth goal of the year and first since July 26.
Le Toux had a chance to tie the game in the 78th minute. He came down the right side and delivered a high shot, which Columbus goalkeeper Steve Clark deflected off the crossbar. Michael Parkhurst cleared the ball away from the net, and Columbus (12-9-8) held on to the lead and the win.
"Obviously as a forward you want those goals, and it's a cherry on top," Sapong said. ". . . We had our opportunities, we just didn't capitalize."
