Major League Soccer and the Make-a-Wish foundation had one heck of a weekend, first with Xander Bailey getting the star treatment and start for the Seattle Sounders against English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, and then on Sunday night pulling off a similar feat with 12-year-old Jordan Johansen as D.C. United took on Chivas USA in an MLS match.
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The two organizations teamed up to make Johansen’s wish of getting to meet his personal hero, Sean Franklin. The team rolled out the black-and-red carpet for him all weekend long.
Johansen suffers from cystic fibrosis, and has had multiple organs go in to failure as a young kid. His disease is much more manageable than it once was thanks to advances in research and medication, but there is no cure for it.
On Saturday he put all of that behind him and inked a one-day contract with D.C. United, complete with a press conference and an official contract signing ceremony. He was then escorted around the field for a tour of the venerable RFK stadium and was treated to his own locker, right next to his favorite player, Franklin, of course.
Franklin and Johansen have come to form a friendship thanks to a mutual family friend, but had never been able to meet in person before this past weekend. After Franklin was signed by D.C. United from the Los Angeles Galaxy Johansen became a United fan.
“It’s a great feeling,” added Franklin, per MLSSoccer.com. “It’s not everyday someone wants to share a moment like this with me. To have Jordan come out with his family, it’s a very humbling experience. I’m just happy I have a job where I can do stuff like this, to have a great kid like Jordan out here. It was a fun day.”
Johansen took in training and participated with the team in some drills. He also was treated to the full experience during Sunday’s match, including a TIFO tribute from the D.C. United supporters.
Amazingly, his ultimate wish nearly came true as he predicted a 3-0 D.C. United win and only a late penalty kick goal from Chivas USA did in that part of the experience.