WASHINGTON (November 25, 2015) – D.C. United have announced the club’s end-of-season award winners for the 2015 season.
In his second season with the Black-and-Red, midfielder/forward Chris Rolfe took home the 2015 Most Valuable Player Award and the Golden Boot. Rolfe led the team in scoring with a career-high 10 goals and four assists in a career-high 31 regular season appearances (30 starts). He finished tied for third in MLS with a career-best five game-winning goals during the regular season, recording a sixth in D.C. United’s 2-1 win over New England in the Knockout Round of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. He is tied for fifth among active MLS players with 22 career game-winning goals. With 64 career goals, Rolfe is ninth among active MLS players and 27th all-time.
Rolfe also finished first on the D.C. United roster in penalty kick goals (4), shots (64) and shots on goal (29), and he was third in minutes played (2,386). The 2015 campaign was the fourth in nine MLS seasons that he recorded at least eight goals and the eighth with at least six. Rolfe had a pair of two-goal games, against Real Salt Lake on Aug. 1 and against New England on June 21. He also had a streak of four consecutive games with a goal or an assist, tied for the third-longest in 2015. Against Houston (Apr. 18) and Vancouver (Apr. 25), Rolfe had goals in back-to-back games, recording his first goal of the 2015 season with a spectacular free kick in the 36th minute of a 1-1 draw with the Dynamo. On Sept. 24, D.C. United announced that Rolfe and club agreed to a contract extension.
Goalkeeper Bill Hamid was named D.C. United Defender of the Year after another standout season in front of the net. In his sixth MLS season, Hamid once again finished at or near the top in multiple major goalkeeping categories. The 25-year-old from Annandale, Va., was the only qualifying goalkeeper in MLS to face more than five shots on goal per game (5.2) and make more than four saves per game (4.04). Despite missing nine games due to injury, Hamid recorded double-digit victories for the second straight year (11), was second in saves percentage (75.9), fifth in saves (101) and seventh in shutouts (eight), and he posted the second-longest shutout streak of the season (401 minutes). Hamid matched his regular-season career-high twice with eight saves at Portland on May 27 and at Montreal on Aug. 8. He also established a playoff career-high with eight saves against the New York Red Bulls on Nov. 1 in the first match of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Rookie goalkeeper Travis Worra played an active role to assist D.C. United in the community en route to being named Humanitarian of the Year. Throughout the season, Worra dedicated time and effort to numerous events, such as helping to create cards for military families who've lost a loved one during Armed Forces Week and playing an integral piece in D.C. United's Special Olympics program, including participating in practices and matches with Special Olympics athletes. On his own time, Worra became a volunteer coach with DC SCORES, a role in which he helps change and improve lives for thousands of D.C. kids living in poverty.
Most Valuable Player: Chris Rolfe
Golden Boot: Chris Rolfe
Defender of the Year: Bill Hamid
D.C. United Humanitarian of the Year: Travis Worra
