Goalkeeper Bill Hamid has been named D.C. United's 2017 MVP after leading the Black-and-Red with exceptional performances in net for the majority of the season. The 26-year-old proved himself as one of Major League Soccer's most talented netminders, reaching his 49th career shutout this season and bringing his saves total to 652.
Hamid started 24 games in net for United during the 2017 campaign, recording six shutouts and tallying 98 saves, good for fourth-best in the league. The Virginia native blanked New England, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Kansas City at home, and shut out Colorado and Vancouver on the road, picking up eight MLS Save of the Week nominations along the way and boasting the top save in the league for Week 28. Hamid's heroics in net also earned attention from the U.S. Men's National Team, as the 26-year-old was called up to join the Yanks during their CONCACAF Gold Cup run.
Hamid remained a force to be reckoned with all season, helping United close out multiple matches as the Black-and-Red's last line of defense. The goalkeeper denied the Philadelphia Union seven times at RFK on April 1, giving D.C. their first win of the season. When United defeated league newcomers Atlanta United FC 3-1 on April 30 at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium, Hamid turned aside six shots to lead his squad to their first road win of the season in front of 46,011 Atlanta fans. Another six-save performance earned United a hard-fought draw against Western Conference foes the Galaxy in June, while back-to-back-to-back exceptional showings in August led United to three consecutive shutout victories thanks to a combined 10 saves from Hamid.
While 2017 was Hamid's final season in the nation's capital as the 26-year-old signed with Danish side FC Midtjylland following the expiration of his contract, the Homegrown Player made history by breaking almost every United goalkeeping record in his eight years with the club and permanently endearing himself to the Black-and-Red faithful.
