There was a heartwarming subplot when Charlotte FC made its Major League Soccer home debut in front of a record-setting crowd at Bank of America Stadium against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.
In 2010, Galaxy player Sacha Kljestan — then a member of the now-defunct Chivas USA — visited a cancer patient at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and gave that young soccer fan a jersey. Now, 12 years later, that young fan is 20 years old and is a professional soccer player himself. Chris Hegardt is a rookie midfielder for expansion Charlotte FC.
“I gave him a jersey once, hopefully he will give me his tomorrow!” Kljestan tweeted Friday.
