Kamara wonders if he’s the right piece for the Revs

With only 12 goals in 39 appearances, it’s safe to say that Kei Kamara hasn’t really fit in with the New England Revolution.

Kamara came to New England on May 12, 2016 via a trade with Columbus Crew SC. The striker was expected to be the marquee player that would put the Revs over the top. Instead, he only scored seven goals in his first season en route to the club missing the playoffs.

Things haven’t gotten much better in year two, as Kamara has only netted five goals. It’s a difficult reality to accept for a player who led the league with 22 in 2015.

“If I’m not scoring goals, I feel like I’m not helping the team out,” Kamara said. “[Tonight] I got a goal, but it’s real difficult if I can’t produce for this team because it’s a good team. Maybe I wasn’t the right piece of the puzzle to help the team move forward.”

One issue that Kamara is facing has to do with the Revolution’s style of play. In Columbus, Kamara could wait in the box for wide service but with his new team he has to use his feet to combine with others. This has been challenging for Kamara, who has always said he’s better with his head than feet.

If you watch any given game, you can see that Kamara is a bit frustrated about his recent run of form. This is because he wants to be scoring goals for himself, the club, and its fans.

“I want to play here, I want to move forward, but if I'm not in the right system to score those goals, to move forward and to be an impact, it affects the fans because they want to see the best from me, and I want to give this club my all,” Kamara explained.

As one of two Designated Players employed by the Revs, Kamara knows he needs to perform. He’s shown up every day committed to doing his best but he’s still finding it hard to get into a scoring rhythm.

This has lead to conversations with the coaching staff about his future with the Revolution. Having played on seven teams, including two stints with Crew SC, the 32-year-old is well aware of the turbulent nature of professional soccer. That said, Kamara promises to give it his all regardless of where he’s playing.

“If I end up staying here for moving forward, no problem, I’m going to give it my all. Then again, it's a business. If something else comes out of it, it’s what’s good for the club and good for the fans,” Kamara said.