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Kamara stands by his Higuain comments

Photo by Greg Bartram/USA Today Sports
Photo by Greg Bartram/USA Today Sports

Kei Kamara is fully aware that he will miss out on Saturday’s clash with the Colorado Rapids, but the Columbus Crew striker doesn’t agree with the decision to suspend him.

Kamara told reporters on Tuesday that he believes that his suspension is “not at all” warranted, and that he did not agree with the decision. In addition, Kamara said he does not regret what he said on Saturday about Federico Higuain, who chose not to speak to media on Tuesday.

“I’m here. I’m ready to train,” Kamara told reporters on Tuesday. “But then I’m given the news that I don’t need to prepare for next week.”

The Columbus Dispatch reported on Tuesday that captain Michael Parkhurst took charge of a players only meeting this morning, but the veteran defender does not plan to speak to Kamara or Higuain about the incident individually.

Head coach Gregg Berhalter announced on Tuesday that Kamara will miss out on this weekend’s clash with the Rapids due to Kamara’s post-game criticism of Higuain following Saturday’s 4-4 draw with the Montreal Impact. News of the suspension broke just moments after a report that the team is actively looking to trade Kamara prior to Wednesday’s deadline.

Here are some more samples from Kamara’s media availability:

https://twitter.com/smitchcd/status/730086686978392064

https://twitter.com/smitchcd/status/730087568088371201

What do you think of Kamara’s comments? Surprised to see him double down? Think the Crew should trade him? Where would you like to see Kamara wind up?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I am not a huge follower of either player or the Crew, so I am pretty neutral on this issue. To me, Berhalter said that they are both the designated penalty takers, Kamara scored 40% of the Crew goals, but Higuain took all the regular season penalties last year (well..at least according to this thread). To me, in all my years of playing on school teams, club teams and University level, if a player is on a hat trick and you have a cushioned league, LET HIM TAKE THE PK. It is a completely dick move NOT to let him take it. Additionally, if it’s true that Higuain took all the PKs last season when Kamara scored almost half your goals without taking PKs and is your other PK taker, it is pretty selfish not to let him take at least a few.

    Sorry, Higuain is WRONG for not letting Kei take it. Kei has a right to take it, but Kei is WRONG for voicing it out in public. That should NEVER happen. I have no qualms with him being pissed and demanding the ball on a hat trick, but keep the complaints to the locker room. This is a bigger, and I think that those two do not like each other. If you have to get rid of one, sorry it’s Higuain. He is far more replaceable and cheaper to replace than a proven goal scorer.

    Reply
    • I dunno, Higuain does an awful lot on the field, some of which isn’t always obvious. His effect on the game is more subtle, but no less dominant than Kamara. I agree with everything else.

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  2. Kamara missed a pk for the Crew in the playoffs last year (after convincing Higuain to give it up), that may be feeding into Higuain’s reaction.

    Traditionally Higuain has been the pk taker for the Crew, but given that we were up 3-1 at that point and Kamara was sitting on a hat-trick, he probably should have let Kei take it. (What was up with Federico offering it to Finlay – that does seem like a d1ck move)

    That being said, as soon as Higuain says he’s taking it Kai has got to back off!

    And what ever happened – DON’T COMPLAIN TO THE MEDIA ABOUT ANOTHER PLAYER AFTER THE GAME!!!!!

    I’m fine with Kamara getting a suspension for his remarks. Really wish this team wasn’t blowing up from the inside like this though.

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    • Last time Kei and Higuian didn’t play the Crew won 5-0. Both on the other side of 30, I say just ship them both out and rebuild.

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  3. Kei, please shut up and get back to work. If you’re staying w Crew SC, we need you scoring goals to turn the season around. If you’re going, we need you scoring goals to trick some team into signing you. God, now I miss those bogus Falcao-to-Columbus rumors lol.

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  4. I reserve my judgment for whether or not Kei Kamara has a good penalty conversion rate. Higuain is not their captain and Kamara is their best striker with their highest goal count, therefore if he is a good penalty taker, then it was a pretty dick move by Higuain to not let him take it.

    Reply
    • I disagree. Why is wanting to score a hat-trick inherently selfish? It isn’t. Scoring a hat-trick is something cool that all players, especially strikers, would want to do. Does wanting to score thirty points or get a triple-double make a basketball player selfish? Does wanting to hit for the cycle make a baseball player selfish? Does going for a rushing record make a running-back selfish? No.

      This is all made to look worst simply because of bad relationships within the team. If Kamara and Higuain were getting along then Kamara probably takes the pk and this is a non-issue.

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      • To reinforce your point, too:

        If Kamara and Higuain were getting along Higuain wasn’t selfish then Kamara probably takes the pk and this is a non-issue.

        Too many people on SBI are overlooking there’s two sides to this scenario and had Higuain conceded knowing Kamara was on a hat trick and Columbus had a 3-1 lead, this is also a non-issue.

        Higuain was an absolute jerk and is getting a free pass.

  5. SBI Suggest to Staff: Can you please merge together articles of the same story and avoid creating three (and sometimes four & five) of articles of the same story?

    The reason I suggest this is you completely splinter on-going discussion already taking place. In fairness, I don’t know the particulars of “post counts” or quota’s by writers but this approach that has been employed by SBI for the past year or two seems to have counter-active results.

    That is, of course, unless you’re singularly focused on reporting and not on reporting AND participation by your audience. I can’t speak for everyone, but this is a microcosm of an issue I have with the quality and direction of SBI and I think it greatly contributes to the lack of quality and participation the SBI comment section once had.

    Reply
  6. As Crew supporter and season ticket holder since 1996, I believe Kamara is wrong! Kamara is not the most important part of the team. The team as a whole is the most important. If you don’t want to be part of the team go away! I was glad Kamara got his pay increase and remained part of the team. Seems that he doesn’t want to be a team player!

    Reply
    • Not sure I’d agree.

      I can see Kamara’s side to this impasse. He scored nearly 40% of the club’s total goals last season, none of which were from PKs. If Higuain had been big enough, or generous enough to allow Kamara even a few of the PKs, Kamara would have won the golden boot. That would have been the mark of a good teammate on Higuain’s part.

      With Kamara’s 40% of last season’s goal production, seems like Columbus needs Kamara more than he needs the club.

      Reply
      • Kamara took one penalty last year and missed. He is not a good penalty taker. Higuain is the penalty taker for the team. I am really surprised no one has pointed out that Kamara is not a great penalty taker.

    • Going along with your sentiments regarding what’s best for the team:

      player A scored 22 with no PKs last season.
      Player B converted only 60% (might have been 70%, can’t remember the stat precisely) of his PKs last season–tied for worst in MLS….

      My question to you is, for the good of the team do you feel it might be a good idea to let player A take more PKs?

      Then add in the context of a 31 consistent striker trying to get his first career hat trick….. Um yea….

      To be fair, keis only fault is taking it public in the post game interview. That fault is still not worse than higauins selfish and stubborn fault

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      • To clarify my stat: higuain PKs:

        2013: 75%
        2014: 62.5%
        2015: 50%

        That means last year Kei was chasing the golden boot while watching his teammate get all the PKs and only made half— a coin flip…and people still have a hard time seeing where Kei is coming from? Now THATS worthy of an LOL….

  7. This situation seems more complicated than it first appeared. Hard to know what goes on in the locker room, but the Crew need to pull it together. I’m not a huge follower of Kamara, but I can’t recall hearing of any other “head-case” incidents from him. Crew would be best served by sitting these two guys down and hashing it out. No way does Columbus get fair value for Kamara in a trade. And no way will they be able to replicate his production if he goes.

    Reply
    • This actually wouldn’t be his first time making such statements. He had a similar issue when he went abroad to play for Middlesbrough. This is a really difficult situation because Kamara is far and away their most valuable player. I really have no idea what the crew are gonna do but things aren’t looking good in Columbus right now.

      Reply

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