Under normal circumstances, D.C. United’s U.S. Open Cup play-in match against FC Dallas next week would be the ideal chance for backup goalkeeper Bill Hamid to get his first taste of regular-season action, and by the way, make his first-ever professional start.
But circumstances are far from normal at RFK Stadium, where D.C.’s desperation to get a result – any result – and mitigate its 0-4 start in league play might lead to embattled starter Troy Perkins getting another chance to get his first victory of his return to MLS after two years in Norway.
“That’s the tough question because obviously, with our start, you want to try to build some stability,” said United assistant coach Mark Simpson on Thursday. “It’s a tough situation now which we’re still juggling behind the scenes and trying to figure out so. It’s a little bit more delicate situation that it would be if we had a better start so you have to balance that.”
After conceding 11 goals in the first four matches, Perkins was looking forward to a three-day weekend without soccer more than any other guy on the roster. But he also said that a good week of training after the latest loss had helped him sort himself out and that he isn’t desperate for the next match to begin to atone for his shaky start to the year. The U.S. Open Cup play-in will also be the first of four matches in 11 days.
“I don’t know,” said Perkins when asked he needed to start against Dallas. “I’m not sitting there like, man, I need a game now or else I’ll feel bad. I’m over that. I’m past that. I’m not the type of person that feels sorry for myself. I’m more usually pissed off at myself. But even if Bill gets the game, that’s good. But you know either you look at it, we’re going to come out firing because we want to win. I think the guys are a little embarrassed at the way things have gone, and they want to set things right.”
Hamid, of course, would jump at the chance to make his first start with D.C. United’s first team after becoming its first-ever signing from the youth academy late last summer. It certainly wouldn’t be foreign to him, as he essentially played the role of starter for much of preseason when Perkins was in and out of a pair of U.S. national team camps in January and February.
“It took me a long way,” said Hamid of preseason. “I feel like that’s what I needed, to get thrown into the situation and see how I’d react, and I thought I reacted amazing. I feel like I’m ready off of playing four or five games in preseason and seeing how it is now, and I feel like I can step in and do the job.”
Hamid has shown solidly in practice, working on his consistency and command of the players in front of him as much as his shot-stopping. But while Hamid pushes Perkins at times and Perkins equally helps shepherd along Hamid, the United goalkeeper hierarchy doesn’t appear to be in any jeopardy of being upset.
“People always talk about you need someone to push you,” said Perkins. “For me, I need myself to push me even more, and at times, you can get lazy and you can get a little complacent. That’s when you’ve got to be able to pick yourself up and say it’s not good enough. But Bill has come a long way since I’ve been here.”
Simpson said he trusts in Hamid and that he’s told the young goalkeeper to set his sights on being the starter, comparing his path to that of Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who was manning the nets for Real Madrid as a teenager. But Simpson also cautioned against throwing Hamid into the fire.
“The thing with Bill is he’s still 19, and you’re basically going back to, age wise, a college freshman,” said Simpson. “So there’s going to be some growing pains there, but it’s a big process. Bill, I think, gets it, he knows what it takes to dedicate himself to his job.”
“For us to be 0-4 is disheartening,” said Hamid. “But at the same time, Troy is the starter right now so me, caring about my teammates and caring about the club and the organization and wanting to be a part of a team that can definitely be winning right now, that’s all you can do.”
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