Olympics, a new season lie ahead for United duo
With two parts of its three-stage preseason complete, D.C. United doesn’t have an exhibition victory to its name. Over a span of three draws and a loss during camps in Florida and Arizona, United also didn’t play any starters a full 90 minutes, part of a patient buildup toward the regular-season opener March 10 against Sporting Kansas City at RFK Stadium.
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But while the intensity will ratchet up during the final preseason trip to Charleston, S.C., where United will play three matches in the Carolina Challenge Cup starting Feb. 25, establishing chemistry within its projected first 11 will be difficult with two established starters expecting to depart for U.S. national team duty.
Starting goalkeeper Bill Hamid and starting defensive midfielder Perry Kitchen are both anticipated to be among the names announced this week for the final U.S. under-23 training camp before next month’s Olympic qualifying tournament.
The under-23 team, led by Akron coach Caleb Porter, will convene next week in Dallas, where it will play an exhibition match against the minor league San Antonio Scorpions and face the Mexican under-23 team at FC Dallas Stadium on Feb.?29. The first Olympic qualifying match is March 22 in Nashville, Tenn., against Cuba.
Hamid trained with English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion in December and made his first start for the senior U.S. national team in last month’s 1-0 friendly win over Venezuela. He has long been considered as the front-runner to be the Olympic team starter, and next week’s camp will be Porter’s last chance to gather a full slate of age-eligible players. Three players over age 23 are also permitted on Olympic rosters.
Hamid isn’t concerned by his divided responsibilities.
“That’s not a distraction,” Hamid said. “That’s motivation. That’s something that makes me want to work harder. Me working harder [with the national team], that makes me play better, [and] I bring [that] back here [to D.C.]. I want to be the best Bill I can for my teammates here.”
Kitchen won an NCAA title with the Zips playing defensive midfield under Porter, but then he was shuffled throughout the defense during his rookie MLS season. He has yet to play for Porter in a U.S. jersey after a turf toe injury kept him out of an under-23 camp last month.
“I’m not going complain too much,” Kitchen said when asked about his preferred place on the field. “It’s the Olympics.”
Despite multiple absences anticipated throughout the season from Hamid, United coach Ben Olsen said he has no fear throwing second-year backup Joe Willis into the net. Woodbridge native Andrew Dykstra, who was the Chicago Fire’s No. 1 keeper at the start of 2010, appears likely to claim the third goalkeeper position, having been with D.C. United throughout the preseason.
After cutting ties with Clyde Simms during the offseason, United recently signed 30-year-old veteran Marcelo Saragosa to shore up Kitchen’s position.
