Former Norwich City player Kei Kamara scored twice as Columbus Crew defeated the Montreal Impact 3-1 in extra-time to end Didier Drogba’s MLS Cup dream on Sunday and reach the Eastern Conference final.
Kamara, who fled bloody fighting in his homeland Sierra Leone as a child before eventually settling as a refugee in the United States, clinched a 4-3 aggregate victory after heading home in the 111th minute.
The striker, also formerly of Middlesbrough, had also scored a header in the fourth minute of a pulsating encounter at the Crew’s 20,000-capacity Mapfre Stadium in Columbus before missing a second-half penalty.
But the win shattered former Chelsea star Drogba’s hopes of helping Montreal become the first side from Canada to lift the MLS Cup.
The veteran former African Player of the Year had scored 12 goals in 13 MLS games heading into Sunday’s clash but was unable to conjure up another strike for Impact, as Crew advanced to a showdown with the New York Red Bulls, who defeated DC United 2-0 over two legs, for the Eastern Conference title.
The winner will face the Western Conference champions for the MLS Cup crown.
After falling behind to Kamara’s early strike, Montreal snatched a dubious equaliser five minutes before half-time when Dilly Duka prodded home from close range after Columbus failed to clear Marco Donadel’s corner.
The goal was harsh on Columbus however as replays showed Duka was standing offside when he pounced for a goal which put Montreal 3-2 ahead in the tie on aggregate.
Columbus were gifted a chance to get back in the contest on 67 minutes when Laurent Ciman fouled Ethan Finlay to concede a soft penalty.
Kamara stepped up but was denied by goalkeeper Evan Bush, who dived low to the right to parry away a poor spotkick.
It looked like the chance had passed Columbus by, but when Jack McInerney’s shot deflected back into the path of Finlay, the striker made no mistake and shot high into the roof of the net for 2-1, taking the match to extra-time.
With penalties looming Kamara redeemed his earlier spotkick miss, heading home substitute Cedrick Mabwati’s cross for the winner.
The Western Conference championship will see FC Dallas take on the Portland Timbers for a place in the MLS Cup final.
Dallas won through to the Western Conference decider after beating the Seattle Sounders 4-2 on penalties after a 2-1 victory left the tie locked at 3-3 on aggregate.
Portland produced a clinical display to score a 2-0 win at the Vancouver Whitecaps, winning 2-0 on aggregate.
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
THE%20SPECS
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
if you go
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.
Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.
Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.
Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0
Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.
Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals