Report: D.C. United Interested In Kamani Hill

A brief item in the Soccer365 ‘Grapevine’ section last week reported that U.S. internationals Kamani Hill and Lee Nguyen - two of the younger Yanks Abroad – were being pursued by MLS teams and could be coming home in the January transfer window. MLS Daily has received confirmation from a source close to the matter that the American team chasing the former UCLA Bruin is none other than D.C. United. According to the source, Hill is hoping to find another European club to move onto in the current transfer window but would consider an offer to join MLS to keep his career moving forward, if that is the best option at the time.

Hill, 23, is currently in the final months of his contract with VfL Wolfsburg of the German Bundesliga, having signed a 2 ½-year deal with the club in November 2006. He made nine appearances with the first-team in the 06/07 season, but has not received substantial playing time with the Wolves since May of ‘07, leaving Hill to explore other options recently, including brief trials in Denmark (AGF Aarhus) and Norway (Bodø/Glimt).

As a USMNT pool player, the team on top of the allocation list at the time of Hill’s potential return would be given the first option to sign him. Said allocation list is ranked in reverse order of the final league standings for the 2008 season, meaning the last-place San Jose Earthquakes could attempt to sign Hill or negotiate a sign-and-trade deal with United; the expansion Seattle Sounders FC were previously placed atop the allocation list but have used up their spot by signing former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller under the same rule. D.C. United is currently fifth on the list and would get the option to sign Hill outright if the four teams in front of them on the allocation list (San Jose, Los Angeles, Toronto, Dallas) all passed on the opportunity.

Hill earned his first cap with the national team in June 2007, coming on as a substitute in the USA’s 4-1 victory over China in San Jose, CA. He was also used as a substitute in August of the same year, replacing Landon Donovan in a 1-0 road loss to Sweden. At the youth level, he made six appearances with the US U-23 team in ’08, recording an assist in 468 minutes of play and helping the United States qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Prior to that, he was part of the U.S. U-20 squad at the Suwon International Tournament in 2005, scoring a game-winning goal against Argentina in the competition.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos