MLS Week 18 Preview: Kamara faces former club, stars return to LA, Seattle

Week 18 of the 2016 MLS season gives fans another full slate of matches to enjoy, with Orlando City kicking things off on Friday against the Houston Dynamo without head coach Adrian Heath, and Eastern Conference leader New York City FC wrapping up the weekend against Sporting Kansas City.

Here are three matchups worth watching in Week 18:

Canada takes on the Rocky Mountains

The Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps will face Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids, respectively, on Saturday, with the Impact travelling to Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah while the Whitecaps host the Rapids at BC Place.

All four teams have enjoyed strong 2016 campaigns, with the Whitecaps considered the weakest of the bunch. Carl Robinson's side will be without Designated Player striker Octavio Rivero, who was sold to Colo-Colo this week, and will thus rely on the attacking acumen of Blas Perez. The Colorado Rapids' latest addition, Tim Howard, will try to keep him off the score-sheet.

Real Salt Lake's attacking trio of Yura Movsisyan, Joao Plata, and Juan Manuel Martinez will have a distinct advantage over Montreal's offensive offerings, as Didier Drogba will reportedly miss this match with a thigh injury.

RSL also has the advantage of playing in higher altitude.

Stars return as Sounders face Galaxy

The Seattle Sounders take on the LA Galaxy at just the right time, as Clint Dempsey returned to action from the Copa America Centenario at around the same time as Jordan Morris hit a good patch of form.

Meanwhile, Bruce Arena's side welcomed back Robbie Keane last week after his Republic of Ireland side was eliminated from Euro 2016. While Nigel De Jong is suspended for this match due to his much-deserved red card - a studs-up tackle from behind will do that to you - the LA Galaxy should otherwise also be at full strength.

With two major international tournaments being played in the summer, these two sides have had to deal with a few key absences lately, and those obstacles proved a mighty test in the Western Conference. But bolstered once more by the return of their star players, both teams will be raring to go at CenturyLink Field on Saturday.

The Kei Kamara reunion show

On Saturday night, former Columbus Crew star striker Kei Kamara will take on his old club for the first time while decked out in the navy blue of the New England Revolution, as the two teams meet at Gillette Stadium.

Opposite him, his replacement - fittingly named Ola Kamara - will look to further compound Kei's misery, having already achieved the one thing Kei had so desperately sought with the Crew in scoring a hat trick in just his third start.

While fans won't get to see Kei Kamara and Federico Higuain interact on the field - the latter sidelined after undergoing surgery - the memory of their on-field spat certainly won't be a forgotten point in the build up to kick off.

That the two Crew stars were embroiled in a public spat - albeit a one-sided one that saw Kei Kamara ultimately traded - will only make the spectacle that much more entertaining. And, if Kei is anything, it's an entertainer on and off the field.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until the end of September before Kamara returns to MAPFRE Stadium.