We can't get enough of this. Last week, twelve-year old Jordan Johansen signed with DC United, while the Seattle Sounders picked up eighteen-year old Xander Bailey. The signings, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Major League Soccer, gave both young soccer fans a chance to join their favorite teams for a few days.
Both young men suffer from cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease effecting the lungs and digestive system. The condition often causes extreme difficulty in breathing and has no cure to date. Despite their condition, Jordan and Xander are serious athletes. Jordan is an avid soccer player and also runs a mile in six minutes and nine seconds. Xander has played soccer since he was a young child and currently plays for the King’s Warriors PDL reserve team in West Virginia.
The Sounders and ESPN sure did things right for Xander Bailey. Bailey signed (with a press conference) and trained with the Sounders on Friday before starting for his new team on Saturday in their friendly against Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League. Xander's story was incorporated into the ESPN telecast and was later featured on Sportscenter. But, we can't say enough good things about the Sounders fans on this one. The Emerald City Supporters created a custom tifo for Bailey, and with the number of green #45 cards being held up, you would have thought the crowd of 55,000+ was celebrating the first game after signing James Rodriguez. Following the starting whistle in the game, Bailey dribbled down the field off a pass from teammate and favorite player, Clint Dempsey, and let loose with a shot on goal that drew a true roar from the crowd. Check out the video below, like we said in the headline, chills guaranteed:
On the other side of the country, Jordan spent his weekend meeting and practicing with the DC United players, including his soccer idol Sean Franklin, as well as taking part in pre-game activities with the team before DC took on and beat Chivas USA on Sunday.
Teammates took to social media to express their support of the young men from Eddie Johnson describing his amazing day with Jordan to Brad Evans pushing for Xander’s shot-on-goal to be shown on ESPN's Top 10.
In media appearances following their signings, both players were asked about their experiences. For Jordan, "this was the best day ever for me,”while Xander thanked everyone for the support and noted “it really means the world to me.”
Congratulations on your recent signings, Jordan and Xander and well done Make-A-Wish and MLS!
