D.C. United 2019 season review: Bill Hamid

Welcome to Day 3 of B&RU’s annual player-by-player look back at the season that was. Today’s subject is near and dear to many of our hearts: D.C. United’s first ever homegrown signing, reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (grr) Bill Hamid.

The Annandale native, on loan from Danish powers FC Midtjylland, was at his best in 2019, playing in every league game but one and leading United to the second-best goals-against number in MLS. That figure is better understood as a team stat, however, so let’s look at some other numbers (courtesy of American Soccer Analysis):

• 113 saves on 149 shots faced, both second-most in MLS
• 3.45 fewer goals than the expected goals model predicted, top-five in the league

The 28-year-old played a career-high 2,970 minutes and helped D.C. United end the regular season on a league-best shutout streak extending more than five games. What I’m saying is that Bill Hamid is good at soccer goalkeeping.

But that’s hardly new information to most everyone reading this website. We stan an inexplicably overlooked GK. (Seriously, Gregg Berhalter. What gives?)

Hamid’s quality as a player hasn’t really ever been in question around these parts. The only question has been whether he’ll continue to be a great goalkeeper for the Black-and-Red or elsewhere.

At the end of 2017, he decided on “elsewhere,” spurning United’s contract offers to sign a with Midtjylland on a free transfer. When he got to Denmark, he found himself stuck on the bench behind a championship-winning and Champions League goalkeeper in Jesper Hansen.

Not seeing a path to playing time short of Hansen transferring or retiring, Hamid returned to the District on an 18-month loan just in time to help kick-start the run of form that saw United rise from last place into a home playoff game (along with Russell Canouse and some guy named Wayne Rooney).

In what has technically been his second stint in D.C., Hamid has been nothing short of brilliant. But as of right now, whether that stint will continue is up in the air, with his loan ended.

Bill has never been shy about his aspirations to play in Europe’s biggest leagues, but he’s been equally vocal that he wants to be back at Audi Field next year. Ben Olsen and the DCU technical staff — having, you know, eyes and brains — want him back as well.

Now it’s our turn to weigh in. I think I’ve adequately stacked the deck on this one, but the formality of voting remains. So vote in the poll below (Note: if you’re reading this on Google, the poll may be stripped out, so click through to the normal site to see it) and then jump into the comments to show your work.