It was a long, gruelling campaign for Leeds United, with 46 weeks between the first day of Leeds United’s pre-season and their final game of 2025-26. Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu were in each other’s pockets throughout, not even getting a rest from each other during international breaks, but still decided to spend their summer together.They played in Wales’ 2-1 defeat to Romania on June 6 in Bucharest. Rodon then flew out to begin his summer in California, where he waited for Ampadu, who was fulfilling media duties at Elland Road after signing his new contract.The wait for Ampadu went on longer than either of them wanted. The Leeds captain was scheduled to arrive in good time for the United States’ first World Cup fixture in Los Angeles on June 12. The Welsh pair wanted to watch their United team-mate, Brenden Aaronson.“We were going to Brenden’s first game, but Ethan’s flight was delayed that Friday,” said Rodon. “He came out a few days later than me. We were going to go on that Friday afternoon, but Ethan’s flight was delayed, so we had to wait for him.”
Rodon and Ampadu would be in California, between Montecito and Los Angeles, for more than three weeks as the biggest sporting event on the planet unfolded around them. There were other opportunities to watch a live game, but after 11 months of playing, Rodon said they were quite content to keep it at arm’s length.“That (U.S. vs Paraguay) was the only game we were going to do,” he said. “It’s good when you are there because you can watch on TV at a good time.“When you’re in it (football) for 11 months, being at a football game can be a bit much. It takes a whole day. We were going to go (on another occasion), but knocked it on the head and watched it on TV.”Evidently, then, they were not in the U.S. to watch the World Cup. They actually wanted to use the West Coast as the starting point for their 2026-27 season.Rodon has been visiting that part of the world for the past four years. Peak Performance Project (P3), a high-tech, elite-athlete training facility in Santa Barbara, was the reason.You would not notice the nondescript warehouse if you walked past it, but it has become a mecca for athletes seeking an edge. P3 uses biomechanics and data analytics to help athletes prevent injuries and improve performance.
