07/11/26 05:52:00
Printable Page
07/11 17:50 CDT 'Ted Lasso' stars bring World Cup fever to Kansas City as
Argentina faces Switzerland
'Ted Lasso' stars bring World Cup fever to Kansas City as Argentina faces
Switzerland
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) --- Lionel Messi and reigning World Cup champion
Argentina playing for a semifinal spot in Ted Lasso's hometown?
You'd better BELIEVE he's paying attention.
The fictional coach of soccer club AFC Richmond --- or rather, Jason Sudeikis,
who plays the title character on the Apple TV series --- was hosting a watch
party at CPKC Stadium near downtown Kansas City on Saturday night, when La
Albiceleste were playing upstart Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in their
quest for back-to-back championships.
The fourth season of the comedy-drama, which has been on hiatus since May 31,
2023, is due to premiere on Aug. 5.
"As much as we've loved football before we got started, I've grown to love it
more as we got more immersed in the soccer culture," said Sudeikis, who grew up
in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and still has a deep
affinity for the city.
In fact, many of the scenes in the new season of "Ted Lasso" were shot around
Kansas City.
That includes riverfront CPKC Stadium, the home of the National Women's Soccer
League club Kansas City Current. It's the first of its size built specifically
for a women's professional club, and a fitting locale for several thousand
people to attend a watch party, given that the new season of "Ted Lasso" will
focus on the newly formed AFC Richmond women's team.
It was a concept that the character Keeley Jones --- played by the
award-winning Juno Temple --- subtly pitched at the end of the third season,
when it was still unclear whether "Ted Lasso" would return for another run.
"It feels like a perfect moment to be talking about women's football, and
representing it --- not that I play, obviously," said Temple, who sported a
teal Kansas City Current jersey Saturday. "So that's first and foremost. I hope
that's something people really treasure. And I also hope people enjoy the
journey each of the characters are going on."
As for the World Cup, the cast hopes fans of the show have become fans of the
game over the years. That has certainly been the case in the Sudeikis
household; he played a little soccer as a kid before realizing basketball was
more his game.
"I've certainly heard from some people that didn't care about soccer at all
until they started to watch ?Ted Lasso,'" said Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach
Beard and is one of the show's writers, and who reflected on the last time the
U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994.
"As opposed to 1994 when we had the World Cup and people knew even less about
soccer, including me, people were ready for it," Hunt said. "Yes, the world has
come with this great energy, but we were more ready to be aware of their
presence, and reciprocate energy. And we're not as far behind as far as the
sport's popularity as it's made out to be, and this World Cup is showing it."
The fact that Argentina and Switzerland were playing a World Cup final on
Saturday night? In Kansas City?
"Luck of the draw," Hunt said with a wry, bearded smile. "The actual show about
to come out after the World Cup? I think someone manipulated that. Might have
been a corporate choice."
___
See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
|
