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- Austin FC held its inaugural season home opener on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd.
- Matthew McConaughey showed up wearing a bongo drum and had everyone pumped.
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Matthew McConaughey is the ultimate hype man and he always brings the party to Austin FC. As a minority owner in Major League Soccer’s newest club, the 51-year-old Texas-native has been heavily involved in promotion and fan experience. About a month prior to the club’s first home game, McConaughey led the supporters in a practice run of their chants for the season.
MCCONAUGHEY'S @AustinFC OWNERSHIP.
"This team needs to look like the best of the city of Austin. The gameday experience needs to feel, smell, taste like the best of Austin…This is a hundred year war. Lets build a legend in Austin FC."
LFG
Presented by @tamethebeast pic.twitter.com/30TvFCHyM6
— BroBible (@BroBible) June 11, 2021
The club, which was founded in 2018, is competing in its inaugural season on the MLS level and played its home opener at a brand-new, multi-million dollar stadium on Saturday. Prior to the match the supporters unveiled a banner honoring Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Raul Salinas and other Austin legends.
City of Legends. 🌳 pic.twitter.com/4Eczn22OOr
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) June 20, 2021
The sold-out crowd was absolutely rocking all night.
First home match in @AustinFC history ✅ pic.twitter.com/sWUPImc1Nx
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 20, 2021
Of course, McConaughey was in attendance and rolled up wearing an epic green suit.
This guy looks familiar…
That #VERDE suit is perfection, @McConaughey! pic.twitter.com/FzGqZk6ppE
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) June 19, 2021
Not only was he dressed for the occasion, but he was prepared. Minutes before kickoff, McConaughey strapped on a bongo drum and got the crowd fired up.
Matthew McConaughey + his bongo = Perfect Austin FC home opener pic.twitter.com/2x7PXK8I7R
— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) June 20, 2021
The club’s slogan and most prominent chant is a call-and-response. The crowd is prompted with “VERDE!” to which it replies, “LISTOS!” Meaning in english, “GREEN! READY!”
Matthew McConaughey, part owner of Austin FC in MLS, was HYPING up the fans last night 📣 pic.twitter.com/B4FTUSmPuo
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 20, 2021
McConaughey stopped by the club’s training facility last week and gave the players a motivational speech. Before he left the pitch, he broke it down with a “Verde! Listos!”
🗣 #VERDE #LISTOS pic.twitter.com/jjQwmoCW65
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) June 16, 2021
Austin FC’s Q2 stadium holds more than 20,000 at full capacity and cost nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to build. It is considered one of the premier venues in the MLS. Saturday’s opener shows what a tremendous culture and experience is being built in Texas’ capital city— backed always by McConaughey.
He narrated a hype video for the club and it’s epic.
https://twitter.com/McConaughey/status/1406036092227264515?s=20