Photo by Brad Mills / USA Today Sports

By CLIFF STARKEY

Andrew Dykstra didn’t know when he’d get to play again, but for his sake, it had to be soon.

While it could be said that that’s the life of a reserve goalkeeper — especially when you’re backing up MLS All-Star and U.S. Men’s National Team up-and-comer Bill Hamid — Dykstra needed to get first-team playing minutes.

But not for his ego, or his statistics page. Andrew Dykstra needed a solid start to put the last eight months behind him.

At the beginning of last season, Hamid picked up a toe injury that kept him out of action for most of April. Dykstra seized his opportunity, and led D.C. United to 2-0-1 record in Hamid’s absence, allowing just one goal in those three games. But once Hamid returned to fitness, Dykstra returned to the bench.

Dykstra lived the life of a backup goalkeeper until late July, when he was selected for D.C. United’s midseason friendly against English League Championship side Fulham FC.

In his first game back since admirably serving for an injured Hamid, Dykstra picked up an injury himself. But unlike Hamid, it cost him much more than three games.

Dykstra’s ruptured left Achilles tendon meant that his season was over.

After nearly eight months of rehab, Dykstra was just two weeks into full training when he got his chance.

His comeback. His return to action.

His trial by fire. His feeding to the wolves.

Andrew Dykstra’s first game back was a 5-2 shellacking at the hands of Alajuelense in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

Giving up five goals would be bad enough, but Dykstra was directly responsible for the opening of the floodgates, when he raced off his line and fouled Armando Alonso inside his box. Alonso converted the penalty, and the Costa Rican side never let up after that.

To Dykstra’s credit, neither head coach Ben Olsen nor team captain Bobby Boswell put any part of that loss on him.

“We set him up to fail,” Olsen said.

“It wasn’t an ideal night for him,” Boswell said.  “But it wasn’t an ideal night for anyone down there.”

In retrospect, Dykstra was not fully fit, and probably shouldn’t have been playing. But he was eager to play, despite his limitations.

“It was something that I wanted. In my head, I wanted to play, despite what my body thought,” Dykstra said. “I knew I was better than that. I was out for eight months, had two weeks of training, things happen.”

After the game, Dykstra returned to the bench and wondered when his chance would come again.

Saturday night was that chance.

Bill Hamid, late in last week’s draw with the New York Red Bulls, injured his thigh. It wasn’t considered serious, and Hamid even travelled to San Antonio for midweek national team duty. But when the lineups were announced an hour before Saturday night’s game against Houston, Dykstra’s name was first.

“I had no idea,” Dykstra said. “I always prepare like I’m going to play, but it was a game time decision.”

Dykstra played well for D.C. United, making four saves in a 1-1 draw against Houston. And although he was scored on, his coach and his captain saw his game as positive, and indicative of his resilience.

“It shows his character,” Olsen said. “And I thought it was a very good performance. I think he’s been excited to get back there and prove he’s the goalkeeper we all knew he was.”

“He did everything he was asked when called upon,” Boswell added.

Praise from your teammates and your coach is important, but Dykstra says that confidence in himself is the most important thing for his game.

“It’s about confidence,” Dykstra said. “It drives you and can take you a long way.”

It’s unclear how long Hamid’s thigh injury will keep him out. It isn’t expected to be long, but Dykstra says he’s ready to go if his team needs him again.

“Now, I think I’m back,” Dykstra said.