7v7 soccer tournament brings big sporting, economic footprint to Cary
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- From June 1-4, thousands of soccer players and fans from around the world will gather at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary to see who takes the $1 million prize in a first-of-its-kind soccer event, The Soccer Tournament.
"It's big, it's massive," Wrexham player-coach David Jones said.
Wrexham AFC is one of 32 teams that will compete for the prize money in the winner-take-all, 7v7 tournament where the field and goals are smaller and the rules are different.
The Welsh soccer team, co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, practiced on the field Wednesday, making its U.S. debut after capturing the hearts of the world soccer community in its docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham," streaming on Hulu.
"The way that the club's profile has risen in the last couple of years ... and the connection, we found a real connection with the American public following on from the documentary that's come out," Jones said. "We just feel there's a good fan base at the moment."
TST founder and CEO Jon Mugar said 80% of the tickets were sold locally and he expects about 35,000 people to enter the gates during the course of four days.
"So we're envisioning a good footprint," Mugar said. "It's a great opportunity to introduce Cary to a whole new audience."
Spectators will get to see some big-name stars in action, such as NBA legend and Hall of Famer Steve Nash, who's expected to play with Como 1907 in TST.
Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said the event is crucial to Cary, which aims to become less of a suburban community and more established as an attractive town.
"We're trying to attract businesses and people to our municipality and to do that we're trying to brand ourselves in trying to not only become an amateur sports Mecca but to become a place where sports is known," Weinbrecht said.
The town is already a winner in the Triangle because of the event that's expected to make $1.7 million in direct economic impact, according to Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Executive Director Scott Dupree.
"That comes in large part from approximately 3,500 hotel room nights that we're expected to be filled over this weekend as a result of the soccer tournament," Dupree said. "Their first phone call was to Cary. They could have called anywhere ... and I think that says a lot about our region's reputation for soccer and specifically the Town of Cary's reputation as a soccer host."
Coach Clint Dempsey said it's an opportunity for other players to show their skills on a national level, and maybe other teams will take notice and those players will get other chances
Dempsey played in World Cups and in the English Premier League and says this tournament is great to promote 7-7, attacking style of play
"It's a great state for this game and I think when you come to the games tomorrow you'll see a lot of people out, excited, and shows how far the game has come in the States," he said. "I left it all out there and I'm looking forward to coaching, giving them the opportunity to show their skills. Maybe they show well they get a call-up for a pro team. That's the dream."
Khai Celestin made the cut for Dempsey's team and hopes his performance during the tournament will jumpstart his career again.
"Everything comes back into the fold, so I'm here," he said. "This is a great place to have it, they got beautiful fields and it's showing growth that the world plays this game already, America is starting to get more involved than it has been. The world plays this game so why not."
