OBETZ, Ohio ā November has been good to Ola Kamara.
The Norwegian striker has been a big part of Columbus Crew SCās playoff run, helping the club to the Eastern Conference Championship series against Toronto FC before earning a call to Norwayās national team for the first time since 2014.
While heās excited to be in his first MLS conference final and was thrilled by his Norway recall, Kamara has yet to hit the back of the net this month.
The striker followed up his impressive 16-goal debut season with 18 more in 2017, and ended the regular season in his best form of the year, scoring nine times in the teamās final 12 matches heading into the playoffs.
Since the postseason began, however, Kamara hasnāt been able to find that same form. He has just one goal in the clubās four playoff matches so far, a poacherās finish for the opening goal in Columbusā 4-1 romp over New York City FC in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He couldnāt find the net with Norway, either.
Now, heading into the decisive second leg at Toronto on Wednesday (7:30 pm ET; FS1 in the US | TSN1/4/5, TVAS in Canada), Kamara knows heāll need to take any chance heās given against a stout TFC defense if he wants to get back on the scoresheet.
āToronto always plays like that and is always tight in games like that,ā he said. āI had my one chance that was big and then still had two or three runs where if I get the ball, Iām alone. Probably against Toronto in a final, you wonāt get more than one or two chances. So over two legs, if I get one or two there, itās what I need to take.ā
Columbus head coach Gregg Berhalter said Kamara improved throughout last weekās scoreless draw in the first leg against Toronto, but admitted the striker had a poor performance in the second leg at NYCFC that saw Columbus squeak into the East Championship after a 2-0 loss.
āI think he got better as the game went on [against Toronto],ā Berhalter said. āI think it was a better performance than the New York City performance away from home. I think heās gradually improving his performance.ā
Kamara will need to āexecute in those momentsā when he gets his rare chances against Toronto, but said heāll be playing a bit differently Wednesday, though he didnāt want to specify how.
āWe have done our thing,ā he said. āThe things weāre planning, I canāt really tell [you]. So itās going to maybe be a little different, how my approach is, but itās hard to tell.ā
After flying to Europe for Norway friendlies before the last match, Berhalter said he āabsolutelyā expects a normal week of practice to help Kamara.
āIt was a lot of travel for him, the last couple of weeks,ā he said. āI expect him to come out and have a good game on Wednesday for sure.ā
But Kamara said he hasnāt thought about the change in schedule, and is simply hungry for goals like always.
āI always want to score goals,ā he said with a smile.