Both Hamid, Pontius out up to six months
In a dismal season in which injury woes continue to decimate D.C. United, one player who was never expected to have a significant role has emerged as one of its most reliable contributors.
United tried all manners of replacing defender Julius James before the year started, but he’s ended up with the sixth-most minutes played on the team and even scored the only goal last weekend in Toronto in United’s first road win since before the World Cup.
“I never had anything easy,” said James, who was chosen ninth overall by Toronto in the 2008 draft but was then shipped to Houston in 2009 before another trade landed him in Washington last year. “It has made me a stronger person. …
“The former coach [Curt Onalfo], he didn’t have too much confidence in me, you know. He brought in three different center backs, and they all got a chance before I did. I worked my [butt] off, man, and I kept my head down. Thank God I had the opportunity to play, and I thank God for good health.”
He’s one of the only United players who can say that these days. United will lose two of its most promising young players for up to six months following surgery this week, adding to the massive injury toll that already carries much of the blame for the team’s woes. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid had successful shoulder surgery Wednesday at the famed clinic of Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., and midfielder Chris Pontius is scheduled for hamstring surgery Friday in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, aging and oft-injured Juan Manuel Pe?a has been placed on season-ending injured reserve, rookie Barry Rice is sidelined with concussion symptoms and Carey Talley was traded to New York on Thursday in exchange for a 2011 second-round draft pick.
Ahead of the MLS roster deadline earlier this week, United (5-16-3) signed 33-year-old Carlos Varela and 19-year-old Junior Carreiro, the younger brother of former United midfielder Fred, who currently plays for Philadelphia. Both signings give D.C. United depth in the midfield and flexibility with an expected roster size increase taking place next season, in which four matches will be added to the current 30-game slate to account for home and away games against expansion franchises Portland and Vancouver.
The Galaxy (14-5-5) continue to hold on to a slim lead in the Western Conference, snapping a three-game winless streak last weekend with a convincing win over Eastern Conference-leading Columbus, a match in which David Beckham came off the bench for 20 minutes, making his first appearance in six months after rupturing his Achilles in March.
