Competitive European club matches in the U.S. ‘not a matter of if, but when’

Wrexham’s players had no idea what to expect when they rolled into North Carolina for the first leg of their American tour, according to midfielder Elliot Lee.

So when he and his team-mates took to the field in front of a crowd of 50,596 people at Kenan Memorial Stadium in the University town of Chapel Hill, it opened his eyes to how big the club has become in the United States. For Ben Foster, who played for three Premier League clubs, the excitement from Wrexham supporters stateside is only comparable to what he experienced with Manchester United.

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But not every club can be Manchester United — nor Arsenal or Chelsea, who have joined United in touring the United States this summer. In Fulham’s case, for example, tiers of empty seats at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field for their match against Brighton and Hove Albion point to a perceived oversaturation of English clubs on tour in the States this summer. 

Despite the massive crowd for their opener against Chelsea, the remainder of Wrexham’s tour has not reached the same heights. For their 4-0 win over reserve side LA Galaxy II, the announced attendance was 10,553, but it looked like far less were there. Even at the recorded figure, the fixture failed to reach half of the Dignity Health Sports Park’s 27,000-seater capacity.

Ten years ago, the Galaxy’s first team may have paused their season to welcome Wrexham’s significant following, but with the demands of the now 29-team regular season, the U.S. Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League and Leagues Cup, a mid-season tournament involving every club in MLS and Liga MX, it is no longer a viable option. The attendance is approximately the same as what Wrexham will expect to welcome at a sellout