The British aren’t coming; they’re already here.
Chelsea and Wrexham have arrived in Chapel Hill ahead of their sold-out exhibition match at Kenan Stadium on Wednesday night. Representatives from the two clubs met with the media on Tuesday at the stadium in their first public appearances since coming to North Carolina.
Just a few feet away from the temporary grass pitch atop Kenan’s normal artificial turf, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson spoke highly of his impressions of Chapel Hill and UNC.
“It’s so impressive,” he said. “The university campus is just amazing. The facilities are incredible. All the lads are blown away by it. And we’ve been very well-looked-after as well, I have to say that. They’ve been so welcoming and can’t do enough for us, which is great.”
Of course, Parkinson couldn’t escape a visit to Chapel Hill without being regaled by tales of the Tar Heels’ athletic successes.
“We’ve had a good talk,” he said, “explaining to the lads how many trophies the university has won and all the sports that they compete in.”
Chelsea left back Marc Cucurella, a native of Spain, was impressed by the university as well. Cucurella even went so far as to compare it to one of his favorite movies.
“I think it’s similar to when I watch films like ‘High School Musical,'” he said. “I’m very happy to stay here.”
Chelsea left back Marc Cucurella
Forecasts for Wednesday call for a high of 87 degrees with a chance of light rain. By contrast, the high in London — Chelsea’s hometown — that same day will be 74 degrees. For the Blues, the temperature in the southeastern United States hasn’t exactly been a highlight of the trip.
“[The temperature] is very difficult for us,” Cucurella said. “I’m a British boy now. We’ll try to drink a lot of water and run a lot as well.”
“It’s really hot,” said Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino. “The humidity is terrible! But it’s always amazing to tour in the USA. Amazing fans. Every single part of America has good things.”
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino (left)
This summer tour may not be a new experience for Chelsea, but for Wrexham, currently members of the fourth tier of English soccer, it’s a brave new world. The Red Dragons have enjoyed the lives of celebrities ever since being purchased by American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The pair have not only boosted the club’s performance on the pitch, but have also produced the “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary series to increase its visibility off it.
“When we’ve had a walk into the town, there’s been quite a few people coming up to us and speaking about the club,” Parkinson said, “which is great. I went on my own family holiday to Europe, and there was a lot of Americans in the same resort coming up to me and speaking about Wrexham.
“Me and [club advisor] Shaun [Harvey] were just saying that a couple of years ago, when me and Shaun met, we were talking about plans,” Parkinson went on to say. “I don’t think we expected two years later to be playing in front of 50,000 people.”
Parkinson also said he wants his club to get the full Chapel Hill experience, and not just view the match as another road trip in a long season.
“Sometimes on football trips,” he said, “you go from the hotel to the training ground, then you go home and people say, ‘What was the area like?’ And you say, ‘I didn’t see it.’ I don’t want that to happen on this trip. I want the lads to… experience each area we go to, so when we go back, we have a story to tell.”
One of Wrexham’s experiences during the visit to Chapel Hill included a visit to the UNC Children’s Hospital. Parkinson called the visit, which included both coaches and players, “moving.”
“It was great for the players to speak to the young kids,” Parkinson said. “Life is tough for them at the moment, but they’re getting really well-looked-after. The staff is so impressive.”
The clubs will both host open training sessions at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Tuesday night. After that, there’s just one more item on the Chapel Hill itinerary: play the match. For information about Wednesday’s match, including parking, tickets and transit options, click here.
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