Wrexham to take on Whitecaps in friendly
Welcome To Wrexham is a critically-acclaimed documentary, one that has won scads of Emmys, Critics Choice Television Awards, and legions of new fans around the world for the team it follows — Wrexham AFC.
And Vanni Sartini hasn't seen it. “It's my fault that I haven't watched it yet,” said the Vancouver Whitecaps coach. “I will watch the show because I want to arrive prepared, and of course, you know that I love the spotlight, so I hope to be in the show in the next season.”
With hints dropping all over social media the past few days, the tantalizing teasers were made official Thursday morning — Wrexham, the Hollywood-powered überdog, will play the Whitecaps in an exhibition game July 27 at B.C. Place.
Tickets went on sale Thursday, with prices starting at $104 and reaching as high as $350.
Wrexham nudged its way into the global consciousness in February of 2021, when news broke that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney had bought the then-fifth division club for around $3.4 million, rescuing the world's third oldest professional soccer club from oblivion. A year later, that interest exploded when a documentary boosted the 159-year-old team to new heights of exposure.
“I'm really excited, to be honest,” said Sartini. “There's a lot of reasons why. A big star like Ryan Reynolds, he's from Vancouver (and) coming back home and having this possibility to showcase us (to an) even bigger audience. The fact that this show, this documentary, with big stars involved in this project, I think helped the momentum of soccer in North America.”
Wrexham toured the U.S. last year, but didn't come to Canada. This year, as part of the three-game 2024 Wrex Coast Tour, the Red Dragons will play a North American pro team for the first time.
Their other games will be against AFC Bournemouth on July 20 in Santa Barbara, Calif., and with Chelsea FC on July 24 in Santa Clara, Calif.
“Last year, Rob got to bring Wrexham to Philly. This year, it's my turn,” Reynolds said in a news release. “I am so excited my hometown club, the Whitecaps, will get to square off against the Red Dragons. My official stance on the match will be a very friendly `neutral' — even if I will be screaming for a Paul Mullin hat trick.”
Wrexham has risen from the fifth tier to the third level of the English soccer pyramid, just two steps below the Premier League, but most admit League One isn't considered to be on par with Major League Soccer in terms of quality.
For Vancouver, this game comes a week after a regular season home game against Houston, and three days before the Whitecaps travel to California for their Leagues Cup game against LAFC.