USMNT: 3 takeaways from January camp roster
2. Bill Hamid back in the fold?
Throughout his first year as head coach of the USMNT, Berhalter was always fairly set on who his best goalkeepers were: Zack Steffen as the starter, supported by Brad Guzan and Sean Johnson.
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But with Steffen now playing in Europe and Atlanta United refusing to release their U.S.-eligible players (more on that later), the door opened up for other goalkeeping options to be included. And so, Berhalter went back on the stance he took throughout his first year in charge and called up D.C. United shot-stopper, Bill Hamid.
Hamid copped controversy last year for claiming that he was better than those that Berhalter selected ahead of him. While the Bundesliga regular Steffen might have something to say about that, Hamid’s performances in MLS certainly outshone Johnson and Guzan and at least merited inclusion in a squad or two.
This is Hamid’s first call-up under Berhalter and it is a sign that the USMNT head coach is beginning to change his mind. Perhaps Hamid’s performances for D.C. have turned the tide. Guzan and Steffen only missed out due to club decisions and playing in Europe so there is still a long way to go for Hamid to truly establish himself, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.