Wrexham began their pre-season tour of the west coast of North America with a credible 1-1 draw against Premier League side Bournemouth in Santa Barbara, California, on Saturday.
In front of a sell-out crowd at Harder Stadium on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Wrexham took the lead deep into first-half stoppage time when Bournemouth defender James Hill headed a corner into his own net.
But Bournemouth came out strong in the second half after six changes at the break and equalised in the 53rd minute when one of their substitutes, Marcos Senesi, scored with a close-range header.
After withstanding heavy pressure, Wrexham got back into the game after making eleven changes midway through the second half. Phil Parkinson's side even had chances to regain the lead and claim a remarkable pre-season win.
A draw was an impressive result for Wrexham against a team two divisions above them. Just two seasons ago, teams had been placed in four divisions, before Wrexham secured back-to-back promotions to move up to League One.
Wrexham were also without last season's top scorer Paul Mullin after undergoing minor spinal surgery in June. However, they did receive encouragement from one of Hollywood's two owners, Rob McElhenney.
Bournemouth also had some star presence, with minority owner Michael B Jordan watching from the sidelines as the Cherries played in new shirts he helped design.
Also on the sidelines was U.S. international Tyler Adams, after coach Andoni Iraola revealed Friday that the midfielder underwent back surgery following the USMNT's Copa America elimination and will miss Bournemouth's start of the Premier League season.
Wrexham's next game is against Chelsea in Santa Clara, California, on Wednesday, before concluding their tour in Vancouver, the home city of their other famous owner, Ryan Reynolds, against the MLS's Whitecaps. The Welsh club begin their League One season on August 10 against Wycombe Wanderers.
