Ola Kamara Named Newcomer of the Year Finalist
Ola Kamara of Columbus Crew SC has been named as a finalist for Major League Soccer’s Newcomer of the Year award after recording 16 goals during the regular season. The 27-year-old Norweigan international joined Crew SC prior to the 2016 season and quickly made an impact in his first MLS campaign. Kamara joins Federico Higuain as the Black and Gold’s second Newcomer of the Year award recipient.
MLS Soccer News: Columbus Crew SC forward Ola Kamara has been named a finalist for Major League Soccer’s Newcomer of the Year award. Columbus has also been nominated as a finalist for the MLS Fair Play award, with winners announced in the coming weeks.
In his first MLS season, Kamara became an immediate scoring threat, tallying 16 goals in just 20 starts. Kamara earned the club’s Golden Boot award and became the fifth player in Crew SC history to record a 16-goal campaign.
Voted by online supporters for each match, Kamara was voted the Barbasol Man of the Match a club-leading 10 times during the 2016 campaign. Kamara’s acrobatic goal against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on September 10th was recently among nominees in AT&T MLS Goal of the Year voting.
Kamara was also named MLS Player of the Week in Week 13 for his hat trick performance against Real Salt Lake, the first Crew SC regular-season hat trick since 2004.
Nine of the Norwegian’s goals came in just four games, registering four multi-goal games this season: one hat-trick and three braces. Kamara also notched two assists in his first campaign with the Black & Gold.
Crew SC has captured the MLS Fair Play award on four occasions, most recently in 2007. The club also claimed the honor in 2004, 1999 and 1997. In 2012, Federico Higuain won the MLS Newcomer of the Year award.
Awards Announcements Schedule:
November 3: MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year, presented by Advocare
November 4: MLS Referee and Assistant Referee of the Year; Fair Play Award – Individual and Team
November 10: AT&T Rookie of the Year
November 11: MLS Defender of the Year; AT&T Goal of the Year and MLS Save of the Year
November 16: MLS Comeback Player of the Year
November 17: Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year
November 21: Newcomer of the Year
November 29: MLS Coach of the Year
December 6: Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player
TBD: MLS Best XI
*Schedule subject to change
Photo Credit: Columbus Crew SC
