VIDEO: Bill Hamid, D.C. United Deny San Jose Earthquakes

May 31, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid (28) stands against the goal post against Sporting KC in the second half at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. United won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

In Major League Soccer, good teams in the league have great goalkeepers. D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid was one of them. Seven saves told the story as Ben Olsen’s United added more misery and futility to the sad, sorry, song of hopelessness that is Mark Watson’s San Jose Earthquakes in their 2-1 victory at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif.

Here are six things we learned, followed by player ratings, for the match between the San Jose Earthquakes and D.C. United.

1. The Grown-A** Man cometh

Seconds into the first half, D.C. United’s Steve Birnbaum tried a through ball for Eddie Johnson, but EJ was caught offsides. Birnbaum’s first attempt in the fifth minute from the center of the box was just a tad too high. In the eighth minute, San Jose’s Khari Stephenson had a shot sail over and out. Steven Lenhart’s first header in the ninth minute was saved by Bill Hamid. In the 11th minute, Brandon Barklage was whistled for a handball in the penalty area, and that allowed Johnson to convert from the spot in the 12th to give D.C. United a 1-0 lead. The goal was Johnson’s second of the season.

2. Quick Silva time!

In the 14th minute, San Jose’s Yannick Djalo had a shot from outside of the box blocked. Atiba Harris hoped to pull one back a minute later but missed wide right. After some wide open action on both ends, Luis Silva scored his fourth goal of the season in the 25th minute to make it 2-0 D.C. Busch’s bad giveaway contributed to that goal.

3. Wondo to the rescue

Quakes defender Jordan Stewart added to San Jose’s misery with a shot from the left side of the box missing high. Johnson was hoping to make it a brace in the 31st minute but missed wide left. In the 34th minute, Djalo had a shot miss to the right and in the 36th minute, Chris Rolfe’s first look on goal was saved by Jon Busch. Barklage’s through ball for Chris Wondowlowski in the 38th minute was called back for offsides. In the 39th minute, Wondo was onsides on a delivery from Stephenson to make it 2-1 D.C. The ball was swerving. but Hamid was caught ball watching on this howler.

And so, this had all the makings of a wide open contest once Wondo pulled one back. Johnson’s next attempt at a brace in the 42nd minute was sent into the stratosphere for a few seconds. Another chance for the GAM in the 45th minute was speculative at best and just adds more fuel to the reasoning behind his omission to the USA Men’s National Team: a lack of form.

Team Statistics
San Jose left, D.C. United right
8 Shots 8
3 Shots on Target 3
4 Shots off Target 4
1 Blocked Shots 1
1 Corners 3
11 Crosses 9
1 Offsides 1
5 Fouls 5
0 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
256 Total Passes 171
84 % Passing Accuracy 74 %
59.7 % Possession 40.3 %
20 Duels Won 27
7 Tackles Won 4
1 Saves 2
11 Clearances 10

4. Big saves from Bill Hamid in second half

Shaun Francis came in for Barklage at the break, perhaps to shake things up in the Quakes attack. In the 47th minute, Stephenson had a shot saved point-blank by Hamid. Stewart was clamoring for a penalty in the 50th minute but Jair Marrufo wanted none of it. In the 52nd minute, Djalo missed wide right, adding to a sorry outing replete with sorry hairstyle. Wondolowski was denied point-blank by Hamid in the 58th minute.

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5. More close calls in second half

Silva’s attempt at a brace in the 61st minute missed wide left. Harris had a great chance in the 66th minute saved by Hamid but it was about to sneak inside the near post. Shea Salinas would come in for Harris in the 67th minute. Stewart had a shot blocked in that same minute. Kitchen was cautioned for a foul on Goodson in the 71st minute of play. D.C.’s Lewis Neal came in for Silva in the 75th minute.

6. Too much Bill Hamid, folks

Sam Cronin had a blistering volley denied by Hamid in the 77th minute. The tension was boiling to a head in the 80th minute as tempers began to flare. Alan Gordon came in for Stewart in the 81st minute in an attempt to get the Goonie magic on track. Wondolowski was offsides in the 86th minute on a header that was collected nonetheless by Hamid. Conor Doyle came in to relieve Johnson in the 87th minute of play. Johnson was also cautioned by Marrufo for time-wasting, just to make things interesting.

Gordon’s first big chance was saved by Hamid in the 89th minute of play. In the first minute of stoppage time., a saved header by Gordon and a skied shot by Lenhart summed up the night. Gordon was cautioned in the second minute of stoppage time for a foul. This game had too much Bill Hamid magic, and that would be the Quakes undoing on Friday.

Team Statistics

San Jose in blue, D.C. United in black

San Jose Earthquakes Player Ratings

Jon Busch 5, Brandon Barklage 4, Clarence Goodson 5, Jordan Stewart 5, Victor Bernardez 5, Atiba Harris 4, Khari Stephenson 6, Sam Cronin 6, Yannick Djalo 6, Chris Wondolowski 7, Steven Lenhart 5, Shaun Francis 4, Shea Salinas 4, Alan Gordon 3.5

D.C. United Player Ratings

Bill Hamid 10, Bobby Boswell 7, Chris Korb 7, Sean Franklin 7, Steve Birnbaum 7, Chris Rolfe 8, Davy Arnaud 6, Nick DeLeon 6, Perry Kitchen 5.5, Eddie Johnson 8.5, Luis Silva 8, Lewis Neal 4, Conor Doyle NR