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Sierra Leone’s MLS Hitman....The Inside Scoop With Houston's Kei Kamara
By Keith Costigan
Feb 5, 2009, 16:17

Sierra Leone's Major League Soccer Hitman Kei Kamara.....Representing the Motherland

Kei Kamara has seen a lot for a 24-year old. The San Jose striker grew up through a civil war in Sierra Leone before moving to Los Angeles to live with his mother. He then had to find a way to convince college coaches that he was worth a look before finally making the step up to MLS and his dream of professional soccer.

Keith Costigan had the chance  talk to Kei about how important football was to him as a child in Sierra Leone, his time at Cal State Dominguez Hills and how a dream told him the end was near in San Jose.

Here is what he had to say.

Houston Dynamo's Kei Kamara, Celebrates One of His Many Goals For His Team

Keith Costigan: What was it like to grow up in Sierra Leone and how important was football to you and the other children in those troubled times?

Kei Kamara: It was so long ago now but I remember it like it was yesterday. It was tough growing up there, especially with the civil war, but my older brothers helped keep me away from trouble. Football was basically the one thing to keep my family away from the troubles as we ran two football clubs in our compound. It was tough being a kid in a war zone and seeing stuff a kid shouldn't see, but it definitely made me a stronger person. After seeing those kinds of bad things it helped me put life into perspective and I don't let silly little things stress me out as much as other people might do. To this day, I have friends that call me to complain about little things and I just tell them that it is not really a big deal compared to what other people go through.

K.C.: You then moved from Sierra Leone to Los Angeles. Can you talk about how big a culture shock that was for you?

K.K.: It was a good move for me. My mom has been in the United States for 19 years so when I moved eight years ago, I got the chance to be with my mom again. The first place I came to in the U.S. was Maryland and I had my first experience with snow so I definitely appreciated the weather when I finally got to Los Angeles. It was great to be in America and have my mom around.

K.C.: You then ended up at Division 2 powerhouse Cal State Dominguez Hills. Can you tell us how you ended up there and how much of an influence Joe Flanagan was on your career?

K.K.: I came to the country at the age of 16 so I wasn't well known among the college coaches. That is actually why I wore number 16 because that is the age I believe my opportunities started. My first year in high school I was too late to play soccer so I actually tried to play volleyball. The next year I played soccer but when it came to picking a college, I didn't have many options. My mom couldn't take me to see the other school so I really had to find a school and sell myself to them. My friends brought me over to the campus at Dominguez and I really liked it. I had other schools in mind and I sent letters to them, but I didn't really receive any replies. So I went out to Dominguez again myself and met with Joe Flanagan and recruited myself as a walk on.

We then had a game against Loyola Marymount and that's when other colleges started to show interest, but my relationship with Joe, at that stage, meant that it felt like family at Dominguez. Joe showed me around and we talked about how the Galaxy would be on the campus training so I figured if I wanted to play professional, then this was the place to be. Joe Flanagan has always been top class with me and really helped me achieve my goals. It just shows that professional teams should take a closer look at Division 2 schools because they will find a lot of talented players that are more than capable of turning pro.

Kei Kamara....Can Score from Difficult Positions

K.C.: The college game does take a lot of criticism about the season being too short. Do you believe it readies you for the pro game or do you believe you would have developed more as a player in a European style academy?

K.K.: I definitely feel I would have developed better in a European academy. The college game is good, but the season is too short. Growing up in Africa, we play for the entire year, but the college season lasts only three months. The spring season only lasts a couple of weeks so it really doesn't prepare you for what is ahead. My first year as a professional was about ten months and just playing three months in college really didn't prepare me for the longer season. After five or six months, I felt myself tiring and that was down to the fact that I had got used to the shorter college seasons.

K.C.: Your first taste of professional football came when the Columbus Crew drafted you. What were your thoughts on signing for Columbus?

K.K.: I was very excited to get the chance to play in MLS. I had a relationship with Sigi [Schmid] when he was at the Galaxy and he would call me in and I would train with the them. He would give me a lot of good tips and continually tell me that I would have to learn to play it quicker when I made the step up to the professional game. I was a little shocked that he drafted me because Columbus had already drafted another forward in the first round. I thought I was going to Chivas USA the whole time because Bob Bradley had been giving me good hints and Sigi really hadn't made me feel he was going to draft me. When they called my name I was shocked and my mom had to nudge me to go up there. Sigi is a great coach so I was happy. I really liked Columbus because I came from a small town of 150,000 people in Sierra Leone and L.A. is very big. So to be in a smaller town again felt good

K.C.: You never really got a good run of games in Columbus and therefore never really hit the heights that you were capable of. Why do you feel that it didn't work out there and do have any regrets about your time as a Columbus player?

K.K.: I definitely don't have any regrets. Like I said, Sigi and I had a good relationship, but it came down to how he wanted me to play. He wanted me to hold the ball up and play with my back to goal, but I prefer to run at defenders and use my speed. They have Alejandro Moreno who already does that there and does a great job, but I just wanted to play to my strengths. It came to a talk I had with Sigi when he told me the things he wanted me to work on and I told him that wasn't the way I wanted to play. So we agreed that we should find a team that better suited how I wanted to play.

K.C.: What were your thoughts about moving to San Jose and did you have any discussions with Frank Yallop about what your role would be with the team?

K.K.: There were no real expectations when I went to San Jose, as it was a new team. We had talked about how we wanted to compete right from the start but I never really talked to Frank about what my role would be. It was a good team, but it was frustrating at times because I knew I could have scored more goals there. We were all really trying to get to know each other and move forward as a team.

K.C.: Were you shocked at the trade to Houston and was it a decision that you were an active part of?

K.K.: I actually went to sleep one night and had a dream I was getting traded and when I woke up the next morning the first call I received was from the San Jose front office. I told my roommates about my dream and told them I knew I was being traded but they just laughed. I went into the office and John Doyle and Frank Yallop were there and they told me I was going to Houston. I wanted to make a home for myself in San Jose, but when they told me I was going to Houston, I was very excited.

K.C.: Houston already possessed a wealth of attacking talent so were you ever worried that you would struggle to get playing time there?

K.K.: I was confident that if I worked hard then I would get my playing time. I saw it as an opportunity to play with great players around me and then I could focus on bettering my own game.

K.C.: Over the last few years you have had the opportunity to return home and represent your national team. Can you tell us how proud that made you feel?

K.K.: I was very proud and very emotional when I pulled on my national team jersey. My older brothers all played soccer but none of them ever got to play for the national team. So when I went back, all my brother would talk about was when I was going to play for Sierra Leone. My brother gets so excited about the national team and would dress up and run around the town when they played. Unfortunately, he passed away in April and I played my first game in June, so that was a very emotional moment in my life.

K.C.: Was there ever a chance of you holding out and representing the U.S. team?

K.K.: There was a time when Bob Bradley had asked me how old I was because he was considering me for the Olympic team, but I am glad that I represented my own homeland in the end.

K.C.: Do you have any ambitions to play in Europe or are you content with life in MLS?

Talented and With Great Pace He Can Outsmart Any Defender

K.K.: I really enjoy playing in MLS but I would love to get the opportunity to play against some of the best players in the world in Europe. It would also give me the opportunity to look after my family financially as, although MLS has come along way, it is still financially behind the top leagues in world football. This is the last year of my contract so I want to make sure I give everyone a season to remember and perform better than I have before.

K.C.: Do you have any individual or team goals for the upcoming season at Houston?

K.K.: This year, the Houston Dynamo is going to bring home the championship. I am really happy here and with John Spencer and Dominic, I have two of the best coaches in the league to learn from. I know we have lost a few players, but I am very confident about the upcoming season.