Austin FC will face Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference finals on Sunday, after knocking out Texan rivals FC Dallas in the MLS Cup play-offs, meaning Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey will repeat a feat set by Will Ferrell's LAFC.
The MLS side backed by McConaughey have been flying this season, and are just two wins away from winning the title despite only being founded in 2018. Austin FC only played their first MLS match in April 2021, but have overseen a drastic transformation in rapid time. They're now one game away from the MLS Cup Final - the same position LAFC found themselves in during their second MLS campaign.
Austin's first ever MLS match was against LAFC, although they were beaten 2-0 in front of their new adoring fans. But it's come full circle, and now they have the chance to seek revenge and make the MLS Cup final where either New York City FC or Philadelphia Union will be waiting.
Austin beat Dallas 2-1 on Sunday night to book their place in the Western Conference finals, with Moussa Djitte and Sebastian Driussi putting them ahead early before Alan Velasco pulled one back. It's the furthest they've ever gone in their very short MLS history, and they're looking to go all the way.
The newly-formed MLS outfit is owned by Two Oak Ventures, which was formerly known as Precourt Sports Ventures. This is led by CEO Anthony Precourt, but also has received other investing partners.
The most notable name is McConaughey, with the Wolf of Wall Street star a proud Texan, and keen to get involved with a new venture in his home state. McConaughey has admitted that soccer never used to interest him, but that all changed when he met his wife, who is from Brazil.
When speaking about his decision to buy into Austin FC, McConaughey said: "I played as a goalie for about 12 years growing up, but after that soccer wasn’t too strong in my life. I kept up with the World Cup and the Premier League but not much else.
"Then I met my now-wife Camila, who’s from Brazil, and suddenly soccer is the front page in my life." McConaughey also spoke about how he couldn't escape the sport when travelling for work.
"My work takes me all over the globe. What’s the one game that everybody everywhere plays? Soccer. I call the soccer ball the greatest invitation in the world because from a plaza square in Rome and Johannesburg in South Africa, to Reykjavik in Iceland and a New York park, head to a soccer ball and suddenly you’re in the game.
"You don’t have to say your name or shake hands, just play. Soccer unites people like nothing else." However, this is still business, and McConaughey admitted it was too big an opportunity to turn down.
"As far as the business of soccer in America goes, I see it as untapped potential," McConaughey explained. "For decades soccer has been teasing an explosion in the U.S, we have great athletes, we have the facilities, we have the technology, we can create great athletes and we can put a better product on the pitch — and that’s what we, as a whole, are on the way to doing.
“The headline for the MLS is to be big. Soccer is a growing sport, it’s healthy across the youth of America, they’re choosing it as the sport to play more so than ever. If we keep building and stick to the process, growth will happen naturally."
