Crew SC needed another goal, scored by Kei Kamara or any of his teammates, to leave Portland satisfied with its season-opening performance on Sunday.
It never got it, and the Crew lost 2-1.
Kamara had a pair of prime chances, and that the newly minted designated player coming off a 22-goal season did not convert either was news. It was also a reality check, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Kamara and his burden of expectations.
“Sometimes you need that adversity, especially early on,” coach Gregg Berhalter said during the media-day luncheon Wednesday at Mapfre Stadium.