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Hamid’s return, Kamara’s debut help deliver key win for D.C. United

Bill Hamid D.C. United 05272016

Bill Hamid admitted he got a little emotional having completed his first MLS game in seven months. His D.C. United team had just beaten Sporting Kansas City, 1-0, on the road thanks to an 86th minute winner from Alhaji Kamara, who made his MLS debut.

Hamid had been out since October 2015 after having surgery to repair a meniscus tear.

It couldn’t have gone much better— Hamid and the DC United defense restricted Sporting KC to only three shots on goal— which is exactly how Hamid envisioned Friday’s match going even before setting foot on the field at Children’s Mercy Park.

“Earlier in the week, [Alhaji Kamara] did some extra work after training and I stayed to get some treatment after training and we ended up walking past each other in the locker room,” Hamid said. “I said, ‘Let’s do this man,’ because I found out he was traveling, and I said, ‘How good would it be, you know, you score the winner and I get a shutout and we get the win?'”

Bobby Boswell later joked that Hamid also had the winning lottery numbers, but Hamid confirmed that this conversation happened.

Hamid wasn’t the only hero of the day to take the field after a long break. Kamara hadn’t played in a competitive match since November. He capitalized on Tim Melia’s inability to punch the ball away in the 86th minute to score the winner.

“I saw the ball coming,” Kamara said. “I tried to nod the ball into the goal but when we fought for the ball, I saw the ball on the ground. Immediately I just reacted and I shot.”

In his season debut, Hamid wasn’t called upon extremely often. He made three saves, two of them late win-preserving saves, but showed his strength in organizing his back line.

“I like organizing, I like talking to our guys and organizing really well,” Hamid said. “They take the information really well and apply it immediately. They get themselves in the right spots and cut off angles for through balls and they always man up when there’s a cross coming in. Hats off to the back line today. It felt good to be back and to work with them and to organize with them.”

His debut goal, his team’s victory, and his interaction with Hamid during the week made Kamara feel right at home with his new club.

“It feels good to start with because I want to be part of this team,” Kamara said. “I want to be part of this family.”

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