WASHINGTON – Bill Hamid will have to wait at least one more week before returning to the D.C. United goal.
If that means avoiding former teammate Chris Pontiuswhen United take on the Philadelphia Union (7 pm ET, UniMás), maybe it’s a good thing.
“The first few years, I couldn’t stop a shot against him in training,” Hamid said Tuesday of Pontius, his teammate for six seasons in D.C. before a trade sent him to Philadelphia in December.
“He had his moves, he had his cut, he had his Cruyff,” Hamid recalled. “And he’d just bang it to the far post.”
After surgery in January to repair his right knee meniscus, Hamid returned to full training at the beginning of last week.
Head coach Ben Olsen still went with Travis Worra in Friday’s 2-0 victory over the Red Bulls, and on Wednesday, the manager said Worra would make at least one more start. This time, Hamid could at least make the 18-man gameday roster for Friday's visit to Talen Energy Stadium.
“Bill looks very good, and he’s available,” Olsen said. “That’s something we’re discussing now.”
When he does get back on the field, the 2014 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year isn’t planning on a slow re-acclimation.
“I don’t believe in rust,” Hamid said. “I just believe in going out there and being as focused as possible and getting the job done. When the bright lights turn on, are you tuned in, are you zoned in, are you focused on what the task is? Are you organizing? Are you being vocal? Are you putting yourself to be in the right position to make saves? That’s all I believe in. I think that I’ve done that so far in training.”
Pontius could surely relate to Hamid’s plight, plagued by injuries himself in his later years with D.C.
Now healthy, he appears to have regained the swagger Hamid remembers, scoring four goals while adding two assists and starting in all 10 of the Union’s matches.
“I’m happy he’s found his groove in Philadelphia,” Hamid said. “Sometimes what you need is a change of venue and a change of atmosphere for you to find that groove again. ... He’s a stand-up guy off the field, so he deserves so much more on the field.”
Hamid's eventual return is likely to halt Worra’s story, at least temporarily. The 23-year-old has risen from third-string status to serve admirably over United’s past 10 games, allowing nine goals while going 3-3-4.
Hamid insists Worra's performance is no extra inspiration for his own return, though he has taken notice.
"My genuine love of success has been motivating my rehab process,” he says. “But to see Travis do well is amazing. I was one of the guys that definitely said in the beginning, ‘He’s ready.’”
