The stage is set for the MLS to crown a new champion on Sunday. Columbus Crew SC and the Portland Timbers will kick off the 20th MLS Cup at MAPFE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Both clubs were relatively healthy going into Saturday when Columbus SC forward Kei Kamara suffered an injury to his right leg while training, according to ESPN. Despite the injury coming so close to the match, Columbus SC head coach Gregg Berhalter told ESPN that he is hopeful Kamara will play on Sunday .
"I haven't had a chance to evaluate it yet," said Berhalter, who confirmed that Kamara walked off the field under his own power. "I think he'll be all right."
The two sides are both riding hot streaks that saw them upset the number one seeds in its respected division en route to the final. For the most part, the two clubs are evenly matched coming into the MLS Cup, finishing with identical records (15-8-11).
Kamara, who lead the MLS with 25 goals through the regular season and playoffs, is a key piece of a Columbus side that hopes to win its first MLS Cup since 2008. Kamara has the ability to be a game breaker in the MLS Cup, and not having him in the lineup will hurt Columbus, according to Joe Tanasey.
Portland has scoring threats in Fanendo Adi and Darlington Nagbe, but the Timbers rely on strong defending, and life could be much easier for defender Nat Borchers and goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, if Kamara is neutralized because of injury.
Kamara is a game time decision, according to Columbus Crew SC's Twitter account. However, it is rare that a player sits out of a championship game due to a slight injury, and a player of Kamara's quality could still be effective despite an injury, according to Taylor Twellman.
Despite the two clubs having identical records, Columbus earned the right to host the MLS cup by finishing with a better goal differential. The last time the two teams met at MAPFRE stadium on Sept. 26, Portland took the match 2-1. The MLS cup kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 6.
Update: Kei Kamara suffered a right leg knock during Saturday's training session and will be a game-time decision on Sunday.
— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) December 5, 2015
