Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 4 | March 2021

ED inside.hokiesports.com 11 F or many young athletes growing up, the chance to play professionally in their respective sport is their lifelong dream . For Virginia Tech midfielder Daniel Pereira, that dream came true on the brisk afternoon of January 21. The 20-year-old Roanoke, Virginia native was selected by Austin FC with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. He became the third Hokie to ever be drafted No. 1 overall—joining Tech football’s Michael Vick and Bruce Smith on the elite list. “It’s an honor,” Pereira said of being drafted. “It’s always been my dream, but I never thought I’d really reach it, to be honest. Now that I’m here, I can’t stop now. I just have to keep putting more work in and be dedicated to the game.” With the selection, Pereira is the highest Hokie ever selected in the MLS Draft, surpassing Patrick Nyarko, who was taken with the seventh pick in the 2008 draft by the Chicago Fire. Pereira celebrated the moment with his parents, Katiuska Gil Amador and Hector Pereira Flores. At the age of 15 in 2015, Pereira and his family moved from Venezuela to the United States to play soccer. He found a home at Northside High School, and his career in the U.S. flourished from there. “My parents are always there for me, regardless of what the situation is,” Pereira said. “It was a really emotional moment, and my dad was already crying before the show even started. It’s a moment I will never forget. “It’s just crazy how we got here and what we have now and what we have accomplished as a family, … believing the American dream.” He was named the 2019 VHSL Class 3 Boys Soccer Player of the Year as a senior after he scored 44 goals, breaking the school’s career points record, and he helped lead Northside to the Class 3 State Championship Game. He decided to take his talents to Virginia Tech and the ACC, where he excelled in his two seasons. As a freshman in 2019, Pereira started all 19 games in the central midfield for the Hokies and tallied five goals, good for second on the team behind Kristo Strickler’s 11, and five assists, a team-high. He was clutch late in the season for Tech, scoring goals in three consecutive games against Duke, Louisville and Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament. He also recorded an assist in each of Virginia Tech’s NCAA Tournament games against No. 23 New Hampshire and at No. 7 Stanford. In a shortened 2020 fall season due to COVID-19, the sophomore helped the Hokies finish 3-2-2 and played an important role in Tech’s five-game undefeated stretch. Pereira was a force in the midfield for Mike Brizendine’s squad and started all seven games, tallying one goal and one assist. The goal was a special one, though. Just 14 minutes into Virginia Tech’s contest against Virginia on Nov. 6, Pereira received a pass from Strickler on the outside of the box. He took a few dribbles and ripped a shot from outside the 18 that sailed past the keeper to give the Hokies their first win over UVA since 2005. In two years in Blacksburg, Pereira had an immense impact. From day one, he anchored Tech’s midfield and provided a calming presence in the center of the pitch that was integral to the Hokies’ success. He was also an expert on set pieces and made the most of those opportunities in his Tech career, including his sweet goal against Louisville in 2019. Pereira signed a Generation Adidas contract in December, which is a joint program between the MLS and Adidas that signs star college underclassmen each winter and makes them eligible for the SuperDraft in January. With the Generation Adidas deal, Pereira’s contract is with the MLS instead of Austin FC. The MLS club does not have to pay his salary until he graduates from the deal. Austin FC is the MLS’s newest club who will begin its first season in the league this year. “We’re very excited for Dani to take this next step in his soccer playing career,” Hokies head coach Mike Brizendine said. “He’s an outstanding young man and a very talented player. …We’re excited for him and look forward to watching him grow and succeed at the next level.” Being a new side in the MLS comes with obvious challenges, however, Pereira is excited for the opportunity to lead the league’s newest franchise. “I like experiencing new things, and that’s what Austin is about. They’re about to experience MLS for the first time,” Pereira said. “It’s a challenge for both of us. It’s good to know that we kind of match in a certain way, that we’re both coming in to something new.” Perhaps to some, Pereira’s selection as the top pick may have come as a surprise. Not to Austin FC’s head coach Josh Wolff. “For the way we want to play, we felt he fit a lot of the needs we’ll expect in that part of the field,” Wolff explained. “Dani is a very good player and has good potential. He plays a number of positions in the midfield—he’s very comfortable between lines. We’ve picked up a player who is ready to come in and play in MLS but also has room to grow. He’s a hungry, humble player.” Hungry, humble and living out his American dream. perdraft by David Cunningham