Music, food & soccer: Welcome to MLS, Matthew McConaughey and Austin FC
By Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist
According to Hollywood A-lister Matthew McConaughey, there are three universal languages that truly matter. Austin already has two of them nailed down.
"We’ve got the music, and we’ve got the food," McConaughey said on a Tuesday morning conference call. "We were just missing the [soccer]."
That shortfall is about to be rectified this weekend. On Saturday, Austin FC, the newest entrant into Major League Soccer and the first major professional sports franchise to call Texas’ capital home, will begin play when it takes on LAFC.
McConaughey is best known for his acting roles, including an Oscar for playing Ron Woodruff in "Dallas Buyers Club," and, more recently, his apparent progression toward political office. Yet soccer is firmly on his mind, too, as he bought into Austin FC as an investor when the club was launched three years ago.
His involvement is not ceremonial because he didn’t want it to be. McConaughey expressed his wish to be hands-on, which resulted in his being awarded the grandiose title of "Minister of Culture" for the team. While he admits that his knowledge of the technical aspects of soccer is a work in progress, he wants to help build a brand that fits the city it calls home.
He’s committed to the project because he’s smitten with the sport, and as Kate Hudson found in "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days," when McConaughey falls in love with something, you can’t shake him off.
"I’m all-in," McConaughey said. "We hear about culture with team building all the time in sports. This team needs to be a mirror image of the city. There is a culture in Austin. We are a ‘come as you are’ kind of place. We are highly creative. We like to win and win the right way. I’m making sure the DNA of who we are as a city is part of Austin FC. This club should feel, smell and taste like Austin, Texas."
Austin sports revolve around the Texas Longhorns football program, but the city has never had anything other than a minor league franchise in any of America’s most popular pro sports. That was attractive to the MLS hierarchy, which tries to gravitate toward markets where a young, energized, passionate following is most likely. The early signs are strong, with 15,000 season tickets already snapped up and a waiting list that has also reached 15,000.
McConaughey’s personal affinity for soccer grew significantly after he met his wife, Camila Alves, in 2006. Their three children all play the game and support the national team of Brazil, Alves’ home country.
"In all my travels, [soccer] has been my definition of culture," he added. "Take the World Cup. These teams represent their culture, and it is the healthiest kind of tribalism.
"Soccer is the greatest uniter of all. No matter where you are, you see people kicking around a soccer ball. It is like an open invitation – you don’t even need to speak the same language. Now, with an MLS team coming here, it is the first time Austin people have truly been able to root for the city. That’s why I’m in it. I’m not here to be a mascot."
MLS continues to expand, with no shortage of cities seeking to join the party. In 2006, the league had just 12 teams. With Austin’s admission, that number has reached 27, with Charlotte and St. Louis scheduled to add two more over the next two years and the search for team No. 30 already at an advanced stage.
FOX Bet has Austin FC listed at +6600 (20th-favorite) to lift MLS Cup, a reflection of the challenges faced by expansion teams.
The fresh campaign has no shortage of compelling plotlines. The arrival of 21-year-old Brazilian star Brenner – perhaps the most highly touted young international signing in the league’s history — could ignite Cincinnati.
Former Manchester United star Phil Neville has taken over as head coach of Inter Miami, owned by David Beckham, and will hope to spark the franchise.
Reigning champion Columbus Crew is looking to carry the momentum from its dramatic surge through the postseason last year and establish itself as the team to beat both now and in the future.
Yet in terms of pure enthusiasm and intrigue, it is hard to look past Austin and its unmistakable energy, led passionately and without reservation by McConaughey.
"Soccer fever has hit here," McConaughey said. "Austin FC has arrived, and we are ready to make some noise."
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.