*It was a double shock for Michigan State soccer player Farai Mutatu on draft day.
During Tuesday’s MLS SuperDraft telecast, L.A. Galaxy coach Greg Vanney was about to announce his team’s first-round draft pick, when he revealed that two other people would be doing the honors.
Suddenly, Mutatu’s parents, Jane and Washington, appeared on the screen … from his home country of Zimbabwe. He hadn’t seen them since 2014, when they moved back to Zimbabwe, seven years after the family moved from Africa to Haslett, MI. Due to visa issues, Mutatu (in 8th grade at the time) and his three siblings had to stay behind.
We have no idea what his folks said when they appeared on-screen, because Mutatu and his family began screaming and jumping up and down at first sight of them.
Watch below:
The moment @FaraiMutatu found out he was selected by the @LAGalaxy in the #SuperDraft pres. by adidas. ???? pic.twitter.com/393lLH5woi
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) January 12, 2022
“I was the most surprised person in the room when I saw my parents’ face on the screen and I think everyone in the room was just as surprised,” Mutatu told the State Journal on Wednesday. “It was definitely amazing and something I’ll remember forever.
“I was, honestly, even more surprised they were able to figure out how to use Zoom (for the draft) and get that together,” he joked. “But shoutout to MLS for setting that up and thinking of my parents because that was definitely a special moment.”
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