Here are the nuts and bolts: Columbus Crew SC sent Kei Kamara, last year's runner-up in the Audi Golden Boot race and runner-up in MVP balloting, and the guy who tied the record for most non-PK goals (heh) in a single MLS season to the New England Revolution for a ton of General Allocation Money, and Targeted Allocation Money, and a first-round draft pick in 2017, and a second-round draft pick in 2018, and an international roster spot.
Here is what it means: Kamara burned every bridge in central Ohio. His actions last weekend on the field, and then words for Federico Higuain off the field, were the anvil that broke the camel's back. This wasn't a straw.
There was assuredly some sort of behind-the-scenes drama leading up to last weekend's comedy show, but it was nothing compared to the show itself. Crew SC brass determined that any relationship was broken beyond repair, and thus they had to move their star player -- the guy who was their best player in the club's run to last year's MLS Cup, and then scored the team's only goal in that game, and is in the running for the Golden Boot again this year -- for whatever happened to be the best offer.
Enter the Revs:
This immediately makes Columbus the team to keep an eye on when this summer's transfer window opens in early July. They have seven games between now and then, and most likely a rotation between Norwegian international Ola Kamara (no relation) and veteran Conor Casey will provide the short-term answer up top. In the long term, expect some serious shopping.
It also means Columbus will have to adjust their attacking approach. Last year they led the league in total crosses, crosses from open play, and successful crosses from open play by miles. Kamara's nine headed goals were best in the league; no one else had more than four. They haven't been quite as cross-heavy this season since teams are game-planning against it, but service from the flanks still defines how Crew SC want to play, and nobody in MLS can touch Kamara when it comes to converting said service into goals.
Opta's Todd Kingstonput together a piece on Elo ratings of all MLS players when it comes to winning aerials. Kamara was the only true attacker in the top 10:
