When D.C. United return to RFK Stadium this Saturday to face the New England Revolution (7 PM ET on NewsChannel 8), their defensive game plan will focus on stopping Revs forward Kei Kamara. Last season with the Columbus Crew, Kamara scored 22 goals in 32 matches, leading the Crew to the MLS Cup Final. He was then traded to the Revolution on May 12th and has since made 4 appearances for his new club.
The difficult task of containing Kamara falls to United defender Kofi Opare, who has stepped up admirably for the Black-and-Red in the absence of Steve Birnbaum. The 25-year-old center back has been a solid presence in the back line, and United have allowed just five goals in four games this season when he has been on the field.
A native of Sierra Leone, Kamara is an athletic forward with a clinical finishing touch. However, Kamara is most dangerous in the air, and his powerful leaping and heading abilities make him a constant worry for defenders in the box.
“Kei [Kamara] is one of the best players in this league and, in particular, around the 18-yard box," head coach Ben Olsen said. "You’ve got to keep tabs on him constantly, particularly on service; that’s where he’s done most of his damage in this league."
Opare stands just one inch shorter than Kamara at 6-foot-two, and his size allows him to match up well with the Revolution forward in the air. Opare and his fellow defenders will look to limit Kamara’s opportunities by sticking close to him and stopping crosses before he can get to them.
“He’s a guy that you have to keep your eyes on at all times, especially when the ball goes out wide, because he’s so dangerous in the air,” Opare said of the New England striker. “As a defensive unit, we need to communicate a lot and have someone on him the whole time. A lot of times we have to understand that even if we might not win the initial header, as long as we can pin him off from winning anything in the air, we are in good shape.”
The Revolution sit just two points above United in the Eastern Conference standings, and the matchup is a chance for both teams to gain a vital win in the tightly contested playoff race.
“It’s a very important game… we want to pick up as many points as we can, at home, with our fans and support behind us,” said Opare. “We need to start picking up points, especially against Eastern Conference teams. It’s definitely a good opportunity for and if we’re strong defensively, because they have some key guys up top, we can give ourselves a chance to pick up points.”
