Coaching a professional soccer team comes with challenges.

Coaching a professional soccer team that91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频榃elcome to Wrexham,91裸聊视频� and encouraged everyone around the team to balance soccer with stardom.

91裸聊视频淚 always say to the lads, 91裸聊视频楻emember, we91裸聊视频檙e representing a working-class town in Wrexham. And the performances have got to reflect that,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Parkinson said on a video call Monday.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e embraced all the extra demands on the players, whether it91裸聊视频檚 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 o91裸聊视频檆lock. And all our energy goes into that, really.91裸聊视频�

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 club91裸聊视频檚 pre-season tour.

The game will be critical to Wrexham91裸聊视频檚 preparation because it will come just before the team kicks off the English Football League regular season, Parkinson said.

91裸聊视频淏y then, we91裸聊视频檒l be looking to get as near as we can to full fitness. So it91裸聊视频檒l be interesting in terms of playing (a Major League Soccer) team, the standard,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淪ometimes it91裸聊视频檚 difficult to judge different leagues around the world. But I91裸聊视频檓 sure it91裸聊视频檒l be a great game for us and for them to test ourselves.91裸聊视频�

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 McElhenney91裸聊视频檚 hometown of Philadelphia last summer.

The game 91裸聊视频� a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union of MLS 91裸聊视频� was punctuated by a thunderstorm that elongated halftime, but overall provided a good measuring stick, Parkinson said.

91裸聊视频淚t was very competitive. I was impressed with Philadelphia. It was a tough game,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭he players were really fit and obviously in the middle of their season.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 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 that91裸聊视频檚 great for us, because that91裸聊视频檚 going to be a real test.91裸聊视频�

Whether Wrexham91裸聊视频檚 celebrity owners will be in the stands at B.C. Place remains to be seen, said Humphrey Ker, the club91裸聊视频檚 executive director.

91裸聊视频淚 hope Ryan (Reynolds) is going to be there, because he91裸聊视频檚 promised to pick us all up from the airport in his uncle91裸聊视频檚 minivan,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淪o if not, the team will be stranded at the airport.91裸聊视频�

Fans hoping to glimpse the players they91裸聊视频檝e been watching on the show will likely be in luck.

Parkinson said he91裸聊视频檒l be taking his whole squad on the West Coast tour 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� and expects to field a 91裸聊视频渟trong team91裸聊视频� in Vancouver.

91裸聊视频淎ll the players will be there,91裸聊视频� the coach said. 91裸聊视频淎ll the key players who91裸聊视频檝e been on this journey with us will figure into that game, because it91裸聊视频檚 an important match for us.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频榃elcome to Wrexham.91裸聊视频�

There are a team of producers who determine the storylines for the show based on what they film along the way, Ker explained.

91裸聊视频淭o be honest, it91裸聊视频檚 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,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淎nd I think that there91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 always kind of these incredibly human moments that occur around it.91裸聊视频�

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