WASHINGTON 鈥� It鈥檚 a bright, Indian summer morning at the unassuming practice field across C St. NE from RFK Stadium where D.C. United trains. The heat belies the late October date, the approaching playoffs, the colder, harder days ahead and the renewed challenges of the MLS Playoffs. But from his stance on the back line, from which the Black and Red鈥檚 playoff hopes rest, goalkeeper Bill Hamid has already cranked his intensity to 11, all systems go, even for a short-field scrimmage among teammates.
鈥淐loser! … Higher! … Help! Help! Help!鈥� he barks out from the back line, directing teammates with their backs to him, positioning them, helping them anticipate where the ball will go next.
D.C. United is often discussed as a team without a superstar. It鈥檚 an easy narrative 鈥� no player has more than 10 goals (Chris Rolfe) or seven assists (Fabian Espindola). The team has platooned lineups all season long to work around injuries and a packed schedule due to their participation in the CONCACAF Champions League.
But Hamid has been their superstar, just as he was last year, when he made the MLS Best XI. His 75.9 save percentage is the second best in the league this season. He鈥檚 pitched shutouts in eight of his 25 starts this year, despite the fact his year was interrupted by a pair of surgeries on his hand and knee in the middle of the summer.
鈥淚 would say he鈥檚 as recognizable as anyone on this team right now, and rightfully so,鈥� says head coach Ben Olsen. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been as good as anybody over the last couple years. I think he鈥檚 OK聽with that. I think he鈥檚 able to handle that. In fact, I think he鈥檚 a guy that when the lights come on, he plays better. I think him being the face of the franchise is a healthy thing.鈥�
There doesn鈥檛 appear to be any animosity about the idea from Hamid鈥檚 teammates.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great place to have a superstar,鈥� says veteran defender Bobby Boswell. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy that can single-handedly keep us in games.鈥�
But Hamid is poised to become more than just a star in the nation鈥檚 capital. If he continues to grow and improve as he has, he could very well be in net for the U.S. Men鈥檚 National Team in Russia in 2018.
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While Americans might be used to seeing Landon Donovan as the face of American soccer, Tim Howard has been, almost inarguably, the most significant player responsible for Team USA鈥檚 runs over the past three World Cups. Howard may not have truly gotten his due on the international stage until his final game, when his transcendent, record-setting performance was the only reason the United States was able to push Belgium to extra time.
But Howard was 35 at the time, meaning he鈥檒l be 39 when the 2018 World Cup rolls around. If Howard is no longer the keeper for the USMNT, he will leave enormous shoes to fill.
Brad Guzan has been the primary keeper for the USMNT since Brazil, but allowed four goals in just seven shots on goal in a blowout, 4-1 loss to Brazil in September, then three more in an extra time defeat to Mexico earlier this month. While those goals certainly weren鈥檛 all Guzan鈥檚 fault, Howard has never allowed seven combined tallies in consecutive national team appearances in his career.
Hamid has been called up to the National Team a few times, but has seen precious little playing time. It鈥檚 the curse of the goalkeeper, with only one spot per game available in most matches. When Hamid did get a start, it was against Ireland, alongside a number of other young, promising players with visions of making the 2018 roster, but with little experience playing alongside each other.
It showed.
In that game, the U.S. defense did Hamid no favors at the back, putting him in precarious positions several times. Two terrible giveaways led to goals, a third was deflected in off a defender and the fourth came on a brilliantly bent free kick into the top corner.
Hamid has been called up to the National Team again, but hasn鈥檛 appeared in a game since.
鈥淚鈥檓 really surprised he鈥檚 not in there more, to be honest,鈥� says Boswell. 鈥淗e has some ability that can鈥檛 be taught, in terms of being physical, and his shot-stopping. I would definitely say he鈥檚 our goalie for the future.鈥�
An Annandale, Virginia native, the son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, Hamid won鈥檛 be 25 until late November. Focused and intense, he keeps his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him as he speaks about his experience with the USMNT, always stretching, or swaying, or otherwise keeping his body engaged.
鈥淚t means the world to me 鈥� I鈥檓 a proud American,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his country has done a lot for me in terms of living and my family, and fulfilling my dreams. So getting called up to the National Team means everything in the world to me.鈥�
Even without a ton of playing time, Hamid says he has learned a lot from the more veteran keepers, naming Howard, Guzan, Nick Romando and Casey Keller specifically. He also makes mention of Chris Woods, who was a part of the National Team program goalkeeper coaching staff, now at West Ham United in the English Premiere League.
Other than soaking up knowledge, Hamid knows that all he can do to continue to make an impression is to continue to succeed here in D.C., continue to try to prove he is the best keeper in MLS, continue to validate USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann鈥檚 faith in him.
鈥淚 know [Klinsmann] is watching,鈥� . 鈥淚 know I am in his plans, but I still have to perform.鈥�
Back on the practice field in Southeast D.C., with only a couple of teammates and coaches watching, Hamid takes part in a drill where he is faced with three shots in quick succession. He launches his 6-foot-3 frame left to deflect the first drive, the ball ticking off his fingertips just wide of the post. Scrambling to his feet, Hamid dives right and punches the ball to safety. But the final shot, a point-blank one times, gets through him to the back of the net. He punches the grass and yells at the earth.
鈥淗e holds himself to a different standard than most players his age,鈥� says Boswell. 鈥淎nd he鈥檚 earned everything he鈥檚 gotten 鈥� He鈥檚 really grown since I鈥檝e been here and he just seems to get hungrier and hungrier.鈥�
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If D.C. United is going to erase the memories of last year鈥檚 first-round playoff letdown, if they are going to make a deep run in the MLS Cup, they are going to have to do it the hard way. A disjointed, 5-0 loss at Columbus in the final game of the regular season Sunday erased the possibility of a first-round playoff bye, replaced instead by a win-or-go-home game Wednesday night at RFK against the New England Revolution.
鈥淲hat went wrong is we had a bad half of soccer in New York,鈥� says Olsen about last year鈥檚 playoffs. 鈥淚f you want to dig deeper, I think there are some things we鈥檙e going to do differently as a staff, and I鈥檓 sure some of the players would maybe prepare differently down the stretch. But again, the MLS Cup comes down to who鈥檚 in form, who gets a bounce, who gets a call.鈥�
Hamid is in a position to erase some of those bad bounces or bad calls, to grab a hold of a piece of luck by the throat and yank it back in his team鈥檚 favor. No position has as much power over his team鈥檚 fortunes as the last line of defense.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy that, on a day if things aren鈥檛 going that well, and you aren鈥檛 being as sharp as you can from a defensive standpoint, he can bail you out,鈥� says Olsen. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 a big deal in any league.鈥�
Hamid will have to be better than he was in Columbus, more like he had been the two games prior, when D.C. United beat NYCFC on the road, 2-1, then blanked the Chicago Fire 4-0 in the home finale. They were two of the most complete games the team has played all year, requiring a total of only five saves from Hamid, thanks to an organized defense. Hamid has worked hard on that organization, the communication between lines, and knows it鈥檚 simply a matter of getting back to that form.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all mental, the playoffs,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a whole different ballgame.鈥�
Hamid is committed to making sure he鈥檚 holding up his end of the bargain, setting the example that a superstar needs to set.
鈥淎s long as you feel as sharp as possible, and you鈥檙e training as hard as possible, you鈥檙e in the gym when you need to be, you鈥檙e doing the little things you need to do as an individual, when it comes game time, you鈥檙e going to do your part as an individual and it鈥檚 going to help the team as a whole,鈥� he says.
Done for the day, Hamid is the last player making his way off the field as a staff member shouts back from a golf cart headed back to the stadium.
鈥淔ilm, Bill?鈥� he says, asking the keeper if he wants to review video after practice. The response is as emphatic as it is immediate.
鈥淵es!鈥� he nods enthusiastically, taking a beat to reaffirm his decision. 鈥淵es.鈥�
