Friday Freedom Kicks: Bill Hamid’s final bow (?), time to play the kids, and more

Let’s bid the 2022 season farewell in style, shall we?

It’s going to be a weekend of goodbyes for D.C. United. First on the list saying goodbye to the (horrible) 2022 MLS season – hopefully with a win against FC Cincinnati.

Bill Hamid, one of D.C. United’s iconic goalkeepers, will most likely be saying goodbye to the club. Hamid will be in free agency at the end of this season and hasn’t made an appearance in months due to an injury and paternity leave for the birth of his son. The homegrown goalkeeper has been a regular in D.C.’s lineup for years and was the first D.C. United Academy player to sign for the first team in September 2009.

Hamid has been setting records since his debut in May 2010 against the Kansas City Wizards as the youngest goalkeeper at the time to win a match (he beat Tim Howard’s record by four whole days). The Black-and-Red will honor Bill Hamid at halftime during Sunday’s match against Cincinnati.

By now, we all have heard that Dave Johnson will no longer be D.C. United’s play-by-play announcer due to the MLS and Apple TV deal. We will be sad about this goodbye for a long time to come.

D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney got to take part in a jersey swap with a whole different kind of football team this week.

Audi Field is now home to a new sensory room for fans that may need a different space to enjoy game day. The KultureCity Sensory room will be located over the Heineken Club.

Unite the District Fest is this weekend at Audi Field. Check out the festivities, including a special auction of Ben Olsen’s art.

From July 21 to August 19, MLS and Liga MX will pause their seasons for the Leagues Cup 2023. Dates and structure are out now.

As D.C. United bids farewell to the 2022 season, Wayne Rooney is committed to playing the kids. Steve Goff from the Washington Post has more:

See you all at Audi Field on Sunday at 2:30 pm ET to bid this season farewell!