D.C. United Player of the Month for July 2013

On the field, July 2013 was another awful month for D.C. United. Omitting the Chivas de Guadalajara game, which I think is appropriate, United scored only two goals and managed only one point - a scoreless road draw in Colorado. But some roster moves and some long-awaited signs of progress in the stadium hunt have me, among others, feeling more optimistic about this team, both on and off the field, than we have in months. Our three nominees today speak to that optimism (and the lack of a fourth option speaks to other things).

In case you're wondering, last month's Player of the Month, by the slimmest of margins, was the recently benched Ethan White, who edged John Thorrington by a single vote. Here's the complete list of winners this year-

• June: Ethan White
• May: Kyle Porter
• April: Perry Kitchen
• March: Bill Hamid

Without further ado, this month's nominees are:

Joe Willis: United's number 2 keeper didn't have the best possible month in his time deputizing for Bill Hamid, who spent all of July on Gold Cup backup duty. He allowed four goals in Chicago and two each against Seattle and New England, making some errors along the way. He was far from at fault on every goal, though, and he was singularly responsible for the one standings point United managed to claim this month, standing on his head to keep a clean sheet at DSG Park.

Luis Silva: Two games, two goals, what more could you want? Well, if you want added creativity and more dangerous play from teammates who have spent the year looking helpless, you're in luck. Silva has unquestionably been United's best player since joining the team from Toronto just weeks ago, and - again, after just two games - he is tied for the team lead in league goals. Has this year been awful or what?

Allen Y. Lew: The City Administrator of the District of Columbia is the man tasked with negotiating with D.C. United on behalf of the city in the ongoing stadium discussions. Back in April, Lew first went on the record about the talks, and we thought it was a big deal, and in July, we saw pen to paper on a deal negotiated by Lew and representatives of the club: a term sheet setting the stage for a more detailed agreement to by signed by October. The stadium announcement is undoubtedly the biggest moment D.C. United has had in years, and a lot of the credit has to go to D.C.'s "get it done" guy, Mr. Lew.

So, who gets your vote? Have your say in the poll, and tell us why in the comments.