When Pat Onstad signed with DC United, it was under the assumption that he'd only be coaching. But after an injury to Steve Cronin and Bill Hamid taking longer to recover than initially anticipated, Onstad is once again suiting up. DC United announced on Thursday that the 43-year-old has started training with the team.
Pat Onstad Comes Out Of Retirement, Will Suit Up For DC United
“Pat is our best option in goal right now for the situation we’re in,” United coach Ben Olsen told the team website. “Pat is an extremely experienced player that can bring stability to our backline – we are very lucky to have him.”
Onstad is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in MLS history, but is coming off his worst year as a professional. He posted a 1.74 goal against average and saved just 54.4 percent of the shots he faced, as the Dynamo posted a 1.00 PPM in the matches he started. He had entered the season as the all-time MLS leader in GAA (1.05). He has also helped lead three teams to the MLS Cup.
“At first when Steve [Cronin] went down I felt for him. I thought he had a real opportunity to establish himself, it’s difficult that he is down right now. When you look at Bill [Hamid], he’s still coming along from his surgery. Bill is 20 years old. The last thing we want to do now is push him into a position where he re-injures his shoulder. We don’t want to push Bill pack too early, he’s obviously the goalkeeper of the future at this club,” Onstad said.
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