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Bill Hamid was once again called up to serve as the backup goalie for the U.S. Men's National Team for upcoming matches against France and Slovenia.
The U.S. Men's National Team called up D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid for its upcoming friendlies with France and Slovenia, the MLS club announced Thursday. As part of the call-up, Hamid will travel to Paris on Nov. 6 for training. The U.S. takes on France in Stade de France on Nov. 11. Following that match, it travels to Slovenia to take on the hosts at Stozice Stadium. The latter game is scheduled for Nov. 15.
Hamid has joined the U.S. Men's National Team three times in 2011, but has yet to see any action; he's ridden the bench in international friendlies against Mexico, Costa Rica, Belgium, Honduras, and Ecuador. Tim Howard, of the Premier League's Everton club, starts in goal for the U.S. Men's National Team.
In the 2011 MLS campaign, Hamid recorded 77 saves in 114 chances for a 67.5 save percentage. He started in each of his 28 appearances as D.C. United finished No. 7 in the nine-team Eastern Conference.
If you've followed soccer around the DMV at any point during the last few years, you've known of Rodney Wallace. Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Wallace moved with his family to the D.C. area at age 9, was raised in Rockville, went to The Bullis School, helped Maryland to a national championship in 2008, and was drafted by D.C. United with the 6th overall pick of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. After making 35 appearances for the Black-and-Red, Wallace was traded to the Portland Timbers last November 24 (along with a fourth-round pick) for Dax McCarty and allocation money.
Wallace is in the United States on a green card and consequently is not eligible to play for the U.S. National Team. Which is why when he scored on his international debut Friday night, it was for the country of his birth. It also turned out to be the only goal in a 1-0 victory for Costa Rica over a largely lackluster U.S. team. The goal sequence begins at 1:30 of the video below.
Update: Hamid saw no action in the USA's 1-0 loss to Costa Rica. The U.S. next plays on Tuesday against Belgium in Brussels. That match begins at 2:30 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN.
D.C. United midfielder Chris Pontius will have to wait a bit longer to get his first international cap, as he has been left out of Jurgen Klinsmann's team for tonight's international friendly against Costa Rica (11:00 p.m., ESPN2). Pontius was called into the national team's camp earlier this week as an injury replacement along with Birmingham City defender Jonathan Spector. This is the second time in Pontius' career that he has been called into a U.S. National Team camp, but not made the matchday roster. He suffered a similar fate in February of 2010, prior to a match against El Salvador.
United goalkeeper Bill Hamid has made it onto Klinsmann's bench, but as happened against Mexico in August, the 20-year-old will start the match behind Tim Howard.
Full U.S. Starting Lineup: Tim Howard (GK), Timmy Chandler, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Carlos Bocanegra (Captain), Edgar Castillo, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Jose Torres, Robbie Rogers, Jozy Altidore, Brek Shea.
Available U.S. Substitutes: Bill Hamid (GK), Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Spector, Jeff Larentowicz, Sacha Kljestan, Tim Ream, Juan Agudelo.
Goalkeeper Bill Hamid is not the only member of the Black-And-Red in Jurgen Klinsmann's U.S. National Team anymore. Midfielder Chris Pontius was one of two injury replacements called into the 24-man squad for the upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium.
Pontius and Birmingham City defender Jonathan Spector will replace defender Zach Lloyd of FC Dallas (right hamstring strain) and Chivas USA defender Heath Pearce (hamstring strain), who have both withdrawn from the squad.
The 24-year-old Pontius has started all of United's 24 league matches so far. He's recorded seven goals and two assists and played a total of 2,041 minutes. The midfielder was previously called up to a 10-day national team training camp under Bob Bradley in February of 2010, but did not make the 18-man gameday roster for an international friendly against El Salvador.
The U.S. team's match against Costa Rica will be held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California and will kick off at 11:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday night. It will be televised on ESPN2. The match against Belgium will take place at the King Badouin Stadium in Brussels at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time on September 6. That match can be seen on ESPN.
D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid obviously did something to impress new U.S. Soccer National Team coach Juergen Klinsmann when he was called up for a friendly against Mexico last month, because Klinsmann is apparently calling him up again. Paul Tenorio of the Washington Post is reporting that Hamid will be on the team's roster for the September 2 friendly against Costa Rica.
D.C. United goalkeeper @BillHamid28 gets a second call-up to U.S. roster. #usmntless than a minute ago via TweetDeck 
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Paul Tenorio
PaulTenorio
Hamid will likely back up starter Tim Howard once again, like he did in the August friendly against Mexico. Klinsmann continues to look for younger talent, and Hamid certainly qualifies. It'll be interesting to see if Hamid gets any playing time in the match.
When D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid saw a call on his phone from a number he did not recognize, his first assumption was pretty logical.
"I thought it was a telemarketer or something," he said after Thursday's practice, according to Washington Post Soccer Insider Steven Goff. Turns out, the person at the other end of the line did have a special, one-time offer for the 20-year-old Dematha product. Only, it didn't require a credit card.
It's now official: Bill Hamid, the promising 20-year old goaltender for D.C. United, has been named to the U.S. National Team's 22-man roster for the August 10 friendly vs. Mexico. New coach Juregen Klinsmann will make Hamid the backup to starting goalie Tim Howard for the match.
Hamid is still young, but Klinsmann seems to want to work more youngsters into the national program, and is also counting on Hamid for his under-23 squad. Upon hearing of the news, Hamid could hardly contain himself. Via Craig Stouffer of the Washington Examiner.
#DCU goalkeeper Bill Hamid called into #USMNT - couldn't contain his grin when greeted by the press at training today.
The full roster, however, does not include D.C. United forward Charlie Davies, who was close to being called up for the CONCACF Gold Cup before suffering an injury right before the tournament. It appears his bad luck has continued on.
D.C. United goalie Bill Hamid will reportedly get a heck of an opportunity to further his soccer career. The 20-year old goaltender will be called up to the U.S. Men's National Team to back up veteran Tim Howard for the U.S.' August 10 friendly against Mexico, according to Steven Goff of the Washington Post.
New U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann is looking to get younger, and he's counting on Hamid to be the anchor of the club's under-23 team, according to Goff. Hamid and Howard are close, and Howard's recommendation reportedly played a big role in Hamid being named to the team. In addition, Hamid's current proximity to Philadelphia, the site of the friendly, played a role in his selection.
Klinsmann will be naming his full roster for the friendly on Thursday. Local product Freddy Adu is also expected to be on the roster after a strong performance in last month's CONCACF Gold Cup.
U.S. Men's National Team Soccer: Bill Hamid To Join Team For Two Friendlies In January
D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid will join the U.S. Men's National team for friendlies against Venezuela and Panama in January, D.C. United announced Thursday. As part of his commitment, Hamid will travel to Phoenix, AZ for training beginning Jan. 3.
The United States hosts Venezuela in Glendale, AZ on Jan. 21. It then travels to Panama City to take on host Panama on Jan. 26.
The United States called up Hamid four times in 2011, but the D.C. United goaltender did not play in any matches, as Tim Howard served as the U.S.'s first-choice goaltender.
In 28 games--all starts--with D.C. United in 2011, Hamid recorded 77 saves in 114 chances for a 67.5 percent save percentage. He also tallied seven shutouts. D.C. United finished the 2011 campaign with a 9-13-12 record for 39 points, ranking No. 7 in the nine-team Eastern Conference.
For more on D.C. United, please visit Black and Red United, SB Nation's D.C. United blog.
Dec 22 3:00p by Evan Dunlap