2017 Columbus Crew SC Report Card: Week 4

Individual Grades:

Before we issue the match grade for the Columbus Crew SC, we will analyze and grade three key individual performances we feel impacted the match in one way or another.

Niko Hansen: A

For the second week in a row, the Acura Man of the Match in Columbus has went to a rookie making their MLS debut.

Niko Hansen made his Crew debut subbing in at the 60 minute mark to replace Justin Meram, a move which fans were very verbally criticizing on social media, as Meram had been playing an excellent match. Hansen wasted no time silencing those critics and making history.

For the first time in franchise history, a debuting MLS rookie scored the match-winning goal, as just 24 minutes after making his professional debut, Niko Hansen scored his first goal.

A dream debut for the rookie, and after Alex Crognale’s performance last week, the future is looking bright in Columbus.

Zack Steffen: B+

Zack Steffen continues to build stock with the fans in Ohio after another impressive week. After coming up with three huge saves in DC last week for the shut-out victory, the 21 year old keeper came up with another three saves against the Portland Timbers to secure a victory at Mapfre Stadium.

While two goals were allowed by in the match (although you can blame shoddy defending for the second), the keeper came up with some major stops late in the match; whereas, last season those shots would have typically went in against Steve Clarke.

For the second week in a row, Zack Steffen’s solid goalkeeping can be credited with Columbus Crew SC banking three points. If you need any proof, just check out this stop:

https://twitter.com/ColumbusCrewSC/status/845799949719818241

Ola Kamara: A+

Okay, now I gave Niko Hansen his credit for being voted Acura Man of the Match, and I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it. However, I am totally saying Ola Kamara deserved it. 

Ola Kamara has scored three goals in three matches, and that’s impressive enough on its own. Add to that fact that Ola Kamara has had a hand in every single goal that Columbus Crew SC has scored since Week 2. Including all three goals in this week’s win.

How? Here’s how:

• Week 2 – Ola Kamara scores the only goal in the 3-1 stomping against Houston Dynamo (credit to Justin Meram’s assist).
• Week 3 – Both goals scored in the 2-0 shutout against DC United were off of penalty kicks earned by Ola Kamara. Kamara diverted one to Higuain who scored the first, and took the second himself.
• Week 4 – Ola Kamara scored the second goal of the match (off of a beautiful pass by Higuain), but the first and third goal were scored off of shots taken by Kamara and deflected by Portland keeper Jake Gleeson.

That isn’t to take any credit away from Justin Meram or Niko Hansen, because following up and scoring off of a deflection is what got the Crew the win. However, those goals never happened without Ola Kamara.

For that reason, Ola Kamara earned my vote for Man of the Match. While Niko Hansen may have won the overall vote this week, it is hard to dispute that up to this point in the season Ola Kamara is the MVP for the Columbus Crew SC offense.

https://twitter.com/ColumbusCrewSC/status/845788462406139905

It’s performances like these that have fans saying “Kei who?” in 2017.

Honorable Mention: Justin Meram and Federico Higuain were both fantastic in Week 4. Meram scored the first goal of the match, and his 25th of his career for Crew SC. Higuain again proved his critics wrong with a huge assist in Kamara’s goal.