By R.L. Bynum
A sweltering night at Kenan Stadium didn’t go so well for Wrexham goaltender Ben Foster, but he enjoyed his time in Chapel Hill. He gives you the sights and sounds from his perspective in an interesting nearly 15-minute video.
Chelsea won the friendly 5–0 but Chapel Hill and Carolina appears to have won over Foster, although the 40-year-old veteran clearly didn’t like the heat.
His YouTube VLOG series, called “The Cycling GK,” documents his team’s journey from England to Chapel Hill and his stay at Chapel Hill’s Siena Hotel, showing the buffet the team enjoyed.
The team arrived at the airport for departure at 4 a.m., changing planes in Washington, in what Foster called, “the longest day in the world ever.” The next day, after he reported sleeping for 11 hours, he shows video of training at Dorrance Field at 10 a.m., saying, “the facilities are phenomenal; they are absolutely huge. The weather is absolutely bangin.’ ”
There’s plenty of video from their training session at Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park, including shots from his “chest cam” as he greeted fans.
He calls Kenan Stadium “next level,” praising the Carolina facilities. He marveled at the size of the weight room the Carolina football team uses.
“Oh, my gosh,” Foster said. “That is, without doubt, the biggest gym I’ve ever been in in my freakin’ life.”
You see shots during the match from a GoPro camera on his chest, and a camera placed in the back of the goal. His disgust is clear when he gives up a goal to Ian Maatsen three minutes into the match.
At halftime, after giving up two goals and coming out of the game, he again bemoaned the conditions, saying that he’s “a sweaty mess.”
He was thankful he didn’t have to run around.
“I’m so glad I’m a goalkeeper,” he said. “If I had to run around like those lads did? Wow.”
It’s interesting to view his experience before and during Wednesday night’s historic friendly before 50,596 fans at Kenan Stadium.
Photo screenshot via YouTube
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