Coaching a professional soccer team comes with challenges.
Coaching a professional soccer team thatB次元官网网址檚 the subject of an Emmy award-winning TV show brings a whole other degree of difficulty.
Phil Parkinson has embraced the task as head coach of Welsh club Wrexham AFC, the subject of the show B次元官网网址榃elcome to Wrexham,B次元官网网址� and encouraged everyone around the team to balance soccer with stardom.
B次元官网网址淚 always say to the lads, B次元官网网址楻emember, weB次元官网网址檙e representing a working-class town in Wrexham. And the performances have got to reflect that,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Parkinson said on a video call Monday.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e embraced all the extra demands on the players, whether itB次元官网网址檚 cameras around them or other commercial activities. But we never lose the focus that the most important thing we can do is win on a Saturday afternoon at three oB次元官网网址檆lock. And all our energy goes into that, really.B次元官网网址�
Wrexham exploded into the spotlight in 2020 when actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced they were buying the club and planning to film a documentary about it. The show premiered to solid reviews in 2022 and is currently in its third season.
Now Parkinson and his team are preparing to play in Canada for the first time. The Vancouver Whitecaps will host the Red Dragons for a friendly on July 27 in the final game of the Welsh clubB次元官网网址檚 pre-season tour.
The game will be critical to WrexhamB次元官网网址檚 preparation because it will come just before the team kicks off the English Football League regular season, Parkinson said.
B次元官网网址淏y then, weB次元官网网址檒l be looking to get as near as we can to full fitness. So itB次元官网网址檒l be interesting in terms of playing (a Major League Soccer) team, the standard,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪ometimes itB次元官网网址檚 difficult to judge different leagues around the world. But IB次元官网网址檓 sure itB次元官网网址檒l be a great game for us and for them to test ourselves.B次元官网网址�
The friendly will be a special game for Reynolds, who was born and raised in Vancouver, and comes after the Red Dragons played a friendly in McElhenneyB次元官网网址檚 hometown of Philadelphia last summer.
The game B次元官网网址� a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union of MLS B次元官网网址� was punctuated by a thunderstorm that elongated halftime, but overall provided a good measuring stick, Parkinson said.
B次元官网网址淚t was very competitive. I was impressed with Philadelphia. It was a tough game,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he players were really fit and obviously in the middle of their season.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 expect the Vancouver game to be very, very similar in terms of the physicality and the running power and the athleticism of the players in the MLS. And thatB次元官网网址檚 great for us, because thatB次元官网网址檚 going to be a real test.B次元官网网址�
Whether WrexhamB次元官网网址檚 celebrity owners will be in the stands at B.C. Place remains to be seen, said Humphrey Ker, the clubB次元官网网址檚 executive director.
B次元官网网址淚 hope Ryan (Reynolds) is going to be there, because heB次元官网网址檚 promised to pick us all up from the airport in his uncleB次元官网网址檚 minivan,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o if not, the team will be stranded at the airport.B次元官网网址�
Fans hoping to glimpse the players theyB次元官网网址檝e been watching on the show will likely be in luck.
Parkinson said heB次元官网网址檒l be taking his whole squad on the West Coast tour B次元官网网址� which will also see the club take on AFC Bournemouth in Santa Barbara, Calif., on July 20 before facing Chelsea in Santa Clara, Calif. on July 24 B次元官网网址� and expects to field a B次元官网网址渟trong teamB次元官网网址� in Vancouver.
B次元官网网址淎ll the players will be there,B次元官网网址� the coach said. B次元官网网址淎ll the key players whoB次元官网网址檝e been on this journey with us will figure into that game, because itB次元官网网址檚 an important match for us.B次元官网网址�
Cameras will certainly be rolling when the Red Dragons visit Vancouver, but how fans will have to wait to see how the match figures into B次元官网网址榃elcome to Wrexham.B次元官网网址�
There are a team of producers who determine the storylines for the show based on what they film along the way, Ker explained.
B次元官网网址淭o be honest, itB次元官网网址檚 sort of a case of, they trawl a big old net behind the team and behind the season, and they catch all sorts of amazing, interesting things in it,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淎nd I think that thereB次元官网网址檚 really almost an inexhaustible supply of interesting stories around a football club like Wrexham, because the size of the club is such and the size of the fan base is such that there will always be interesting things happening.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 always kind of these incredibly human moments that occur around it.B次元官网网址�
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