Everyone wants the biggest present on Christmas morning. For goalkeepers, the biggest gift they can give their fans is a clean sheet. Hamid is no stranger to shutouts, with the Homegrown goalkeeper collecting five shutouts during the 2018 season.
It took Hamid just two matches to show fans what he could bring to the Black-and-Red, securing his first clean sheet of the season on August 19 against the New England Revolution. The Annandale native made two saves over 90 minutes of play in what would be his 50th shutout in a United jersey. However, this first shutout would only be a stocking stuffer compared to what would come next for Hamid.
With playoff implications on the line, United needed to perform their very best when the Montreal Impact came to town on September 29. Hamid once again rose to the occasion, producing a flawless, four-save performance to earn United a crucial three points in the standings. His biggest stop of the night came when Bacary Sagna found space inside the box, firing a shot at Hamid. Hamid dove to his left to make the initial save, then spun around to ensure Sagna could not get a follow-up effort on goal.
Hamid earned back-to-back shutouts in the final weeks of the season, with the first coming against FC Dallas on October 13. Hamid made six saves during the match to stifle one of the Western Conference's best teams. One of his finest on the night came in the 17th minute when Michael Barrios hit a low-driven shot to the near post; Hamid reacted swiftly to redirect the ball out of play.
United then faced a quick turnaround against Toronto FC just four days later on Wednesday, Oct. 17. In the 11th minute, Toronto defender Nick Hagglund tried his best to mimic The Grinch and steal the show from a Black-and-Red team that came in with a three-match winning streak. Hagglund directed a powerful header on target, but Hamid was in the right place, making a huge save off the goal line to keep the match scoreless. Following a goal from Wayne Rooney, Hamid and his back-line continued to stand strong and secured the 1-0 victory, giving Hamid his fourth clean sheet.
In their final match of the season, United faced off against the Chicago Fire in the Windy City. United had already accomplished what no one had expected - clinching a spot in the postseason. The Black-and-Red had finished the season strong defensively, surrendering two goals in their previous five matches. This run continue in Chicago, with the stout United defense limiting the Fire to just two shots on goal. In the 17th minute, Aleksandar Katai fired a right-footed shot from distance, but Hamid made the sure-handed save, deflecting his shot away from goal. His final save of the regular season occurred in the 43rd minute on a headed attempt from Nicolas Hasler. Hamid rose to easily catch Hasler's shot in what would be his final save of the match in a 0-0 draw.
Hamid’s return to D.C. was nothing short of outstanding. His final regular season record stood at 9-2-3 with 5 shutouts. With the Holidays now upon us, it’s fair to say that Bill Hamid delivered gifts in a timely manner for all of the Black-and-Red faithful.
