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Austin FC's opening match at LAFC has already gotten plenty of buzz, and not just because the team will be playing its first-ever match. The opener will also see two famous fans pitted against each other: Will Ferrell and Matthew McConaughey.
Since he joined the club as a part-time owner in 2019, McConaughey hasn't been quiet about going Verde. The Austin icon has been a hypeman for the team on the Jimmy Kimmel show, spoken with MLS Commissioner Don Garber at SXSW and is vocal about the club on Twitter.
On Tuesday, McConaughey talked all things Austin FC from what appeared to be an Airstream.
"We've been talking about this," McConaughey said. "We've been building this brick by brick. We understand it's Verde, it's listos, but now it's live."
"I just got some chills saying that," McConaughey added.
This weekend will put the club to the test for the first time against LAFC, which also happens to be part-owned by a big Hollywood name. Comedian and actor Will Ferrell will be on the other side of the pitch come Saturday, and he's ready to start a rivalry.
After talking to McConaughey about both teams, Ferrell told Spectrum News he's excited to watch his team play the so-called "Austin Cacti" this season.
"I can only hope for a rivalry," Ferrell said. "I think Austin is going to be a fantastic market for a brand new soccer team, and I can't wait to be there when LAFC plays the 'Austin Cactuses.'"
Talked to Will Ferrell about his connection w/ @McConaughey as @MLS owners. He welcomes a @LAFC rivalry w/ @AustinFC and has his own nickname for the team. 🌵⚽️ @SpecNewsATX #DownhillMovie pic.twitter.com/yTPfTzVchM
— Victor Diaz (@VictorOchoDiaz) February 14, 2020
Now with five days to go, McConaughey said that he and Ferrell had been having a "war with words" over the match and are planning on placing bets before game time.
It's not the first time the two have found themselves on opposing sides of a sport. Back in 2018, Ferrell made his way to Austin to see USC football duke it out with the Longhorns (psst,—UT won.)
McConaughey and Austin FC are hoping to see yet another loss for Ferrell as they head to their first game on Saturday, but the match will be quite the challenge.
The MLS set the opening schedule for more than fame; the newly-formed Austin FC has been one of the most talked-about teams this preseason, and LAFC is projected at No. 2 in the league's power rankings. Austin FC currently sits at No. 21.
Head Coach Josh Wolff has said LAFC has one of the best offenses in the league.
"LAFC has one of the best attacking teams in the league," Wolff said. "They will punish you. They've never been shy of putting up goals, and again, I expect them to be one of the best teams in the league this year."
The club has lived up to Wolff's words: in just their second season of existence, LAFC took first in the Western Conference and were Supporters' Shield winners in 2019.
Austin FC will need to hold off LAFC captain Carlos Vela, a versatile winger/attacking midfielder who won the Most Valuable Player title in 2019, as well as high-scoring forward Diego Rossi.
Meanwhile, LAFC will face challenges in DP Cecilio Dominguez and midfielder Alex Ring, the former NYCFC "ringleader" who has worn the captain's armband already for his newest team. Forward Rodney Redes may or not be playing Saturday due to a "ding" on his knee, but if he does, he'll be a force to be reckoned with as well.
Austin FC's inaugural match will be nationally broadcast on FOX and FOX Deportes and will be featured on Alt 97.5 FM.
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Austin FC is ranked at No. 21 in the MLS's latest power rankings.
A group of 13 MLS writers compiled a list of who ranks best—or worst—in the league on Tuesday, putting new club Austin FC at 21st out of 27 ahead of their first match on Saturday.
Their next opponent, LAFC, was ranked No. 2. The San Jose Earthquakes, who ATXFC will see in their home opener on Saturday, June 19, are ranked 16th.
The club may be low on the list, but it's to be expected for an expansion team. Austin FC is still ranked above six other teams, including rival Texas club Houston Dynamo.
Austin FC will put their underdog team to the test on Saturday as they head to No. 2 LAFC.
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Could more pro soccer be on its way to Austin? A new NWSL team may be closer than you think
Less than a week before Austin FC packs their bags for their inaugural match, team president Andy Loughnane told SportBusiness the club is considering bringing a National Women's Soccer League team to Austin.
"We're very intrigued with the idea of developing the best possible plan to explore the creation of a new women's team to compete at the top level of women's soccer and play home matches in front of a sold-out crowd at Q2 Stadium," Loughnane said.
The top-flight women's soccer team would be part of the NWSL, the premier U.S. women's league. Boosted by the success of the U.S. Women's National Team and booming interest in soccer, the NWSL has the highest average attendance per game of any women's professional sport league in the U.S. The league also features three "sister teams" with the MLS, two partnerships with USL teams and a team that is affiliated with a French Ligue I team.
"We need to successfully launch Austin FC in MLS as the first step," Loughnane said. "Yes, we think that eventually a top-flight women's team and a top-flight men's team can be complementary and successful together as co-inhabitants of Q2 Stadium and St. David's Performance Center."
Luckily, fans of women's soccer won't have to wait too much longer with a different professional league soon to be in town.
Years before Austin FC became the city's first professional soccer team, the newly-formed "MLS in Austin" group made sure to follow one team first—FC Austin Elite, the city's semipro women's soccer club that has been representing their city since before the "boomtown" hype. FC Austin Elite will soon upgrade into Austin's first professional women's soccer team. It will be joining a new Division II professional league next year.
As Austin FC has worked to stack their roster, FC Austin Elite has been doing the same. The club's newest signees include international pros, former NWSL stars and college graduates ready to take their talents to the next level.
"We are actually out recruiting professional players," Woodfill said. "Everybody in the country wants to come to Austin right now, and now they can play pro soccer now in Austin as women."
As an NWSL team comes into fruition, the two teams can form a mutually beneficial partnership and help build a "pipeline" for women to continue their athletic pursuits after college.
For now, the club is focused on its upcoming season. Formerly a summer league, it has expanded through October and will have 15 home games this season.
Just as La Murga will be seen drumming up the crowd at Austin FC games, the band and other dedicated soccer fans will be seen at the Elite matches.
"We've known those people from the beginning, and those are still the same fans that we have today," Woodfill said. "The Los Verdes members, the Austin Anthem members, they're the same people that are diehard fans for us, too. I think that when we all work together, it blows up even more."
After their season kicks off, the team is most looking forward to an ultimate soccer weekend as they play against a mysterious international "special guest team" on Friday, June 18, the day before Austin FC's inaugural home match on Saturday, June 19.
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Having a closed-door scrimmage wasn't enough to stop proud Verde fans, who watched from outside the gates of St. David's Performance Center as Austin FC defeated USL team San Antonio FC 5-1 to close out La Copita.
Austin FC tallied five goals in their first La Copita win, with forward Cecilio Dominguez scoring two goals, and forward Danny Hoesen, midfielder Tomas Pochettino and midfielder Alex Ring contributing one goal each.
The club finished out La Copita, which saw the three Texas MLS teams go head-to-head for the first time, with a 1-1-1 record.
Dominguez kicked off ATXFC's lead early in the scrimmage with a goal in the third minute of play, while Hoesen doubled the lead with a header in the 15th minute.
Pochettino put ATXFC up by three off a free kick in the 35th minute, and San Antonio FC responded for the first time in the scrimmage four minutes later.
Austin FC ended the first half with a 4-1 lead after Dominguez scored again in the 44th minute of play, while Ring put the final ball in the back of the net off a penalty kick in the 54th minute.
While midfielder Xan Kolmanic was able to make it to Austin and take to the pitch for the first time, forward Rodney Redes was out on injury due to a "ding" in his knee, head coach Josh Wolff said. Wolff said forward Aaron Schoenfield was also out on knee injury and may be on the bench for a little while.
ATXFC will have one final test against the Rio Grande FC Toros on Sunday before packing up to play their first-ever MLS match at LAFC on Saturday, April 17.
Wolff said that the team will face a big defensive challenge against LAFC.
LAFC has one of the best-attacking teams in the league," Wolff said. "They have some quality in and around goal just as we do, and they will punish you. And they've never been shy of putting up goals. I expect them to be one of the best, if notb the best team in the league this year."
The scrimmage will be even more closed than the ones preceding it- the team hasn't even disclosed what time the match will occur- but all MLS matches will be available on the Austin FC & Q2 Stadium app.
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