
NEW YORK (Tuesday, May 31, 2016) – Columbus Crew SC forward Ola Kamara was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the 13th week of the 2016 MLS season.
In just his third start in MLS, Kamara opened up his Crew SC account with a remarkable hat trick – the first in Crew SC history since 2004 – to lead Columbus to a wild 4-3 win over Real Salt Lake at MAPFRE Stadium. Acquired in the offseason, Kamara also recorded an MLS season-high 10 shots (seven on goal) en route to extending his squad’s unbeaten streak to four matches (3-4-5, 14 points). The 26-year-old Norwegian national team member is now tied with teammate Federico Higuain in goals scored this season with three.
Kamara notched his second goal of the match in the 64th minute with Waylon Francis sending a lofted ball into the box that Kamara headed into the bottom left corner of goal for a 3-1 Columbus advantage (Watch Goal). Just 10 minutes later, Kamara would complete his hat trick off a great corner kick taken by Higuain. The Argentine sent a dangerous and perfectly placed ball right into the six-yard-box that Kamara rose to and powerfully headed past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando (Watch Goal).
Columbus Crew SC next hits the road to take on Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Wednesday, June 1 (7 p.m. ET, MLS Live).