Wrexham A.F.C. fans took over Subaru Park in Philly for a preseason friendly against Sunderland, showcasing the team's passionate fanbase. The match was part of Wrexham's three-game United States tour, which finished with a 1-0 loss to Sunderland. Despite the result, the event was a full-circle moment for co-owner Rob Mac, who took over the team in 2021. Mac joined former Wrexham players Ben Tozer and Ben Foster on Team Wrexham Lager for Pongadelphia, a large beer pong game that was a nod to the Always Sunny Flipadelphia, competing against Team Garage Beer, which featured Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, Jim Cramer, and Fit Dad CEO. Surrounded by dozens of Wrexham fans, Team Wrexham Lager took the lead early and never looked back - the same couldn’t be said about Wrexham A.F.C., who suffered a 1-0 loss to Sunderland. But no matter the result, Sunday’s game was a full-circle moment for Mac, who took over the team in 2021. Before the game started, a prerecorded message was displayed on the jumbotron to all the fans in attendance. “I got into football … it was when I first heard the opening song from the Sunderland ‘Til I Die docuseries,” Mac said. “When I heard it, I immediately thought of my grandfather who worked over at the shipyards, just over there. “And just like the shipyard workers and Sunderland, were the coalminers of Wrexham, were the construction workers who built Liberty Place and the Ben Franklin Bridge. What I love so much about this game is that you can be Sunderland, Wrexham, or Philly, or any working-class town in the entire world and still discover that same connection to each other through a game that mirrors our biggest ups and downs.” The passionate fanbase of Wrexham A.F.C. traveled from New York, Pittsburgh - and even as far as Okinawa, Japan - to watch the team in action. Tessa Michael, 46, joined the team on their three-game tour, flying from Japan to Tampa to New York to Pennsylvania to watch the team. “Like most American fans I got into it from watching Welcome to Wrexham,” Michael said. “Now, I’ve been out on every summer tour. I’ve been out to Wrexham. This is my second one now where I’ve done all three games.” After watching Welcome to Wrexham, a documentary following the club, which was released in 2022, she instantly fell in love with the fanbase. “Honestly it’s the people,” Michael said. “It’s the people of the town. They have great stories. They’re just like any town in America. You go to any sports town in Pennsylvania, in Florida, in Virginia or even out West, anywhere, they have the same struggles. They’ve dealt with the same things. They’re very relatable and the same passion that drives us in America drives them in Wales. Wrexham A.F.C. currently sits 7th in the Championship league table, with 71 points from 46 games, and a goal difference of +4. They are 24 points behind leaders Coventry.