Chelsea FC are through to the UEFA Champions League knockout round, having secured round of 16 passage in their very last group stage match, a 2-1 win over Lille. There were heroes aplenty, but one in particular, American Christian Pulisic, is getting a lot of attention today.
One of those playing close attention to the Hershey, Pennsylvania native is Oscar winning actor Matthew McConaughey. (“Alright, alright, alright!”) The 21-year-old winger is really coming into his own now, with a recent scorching hot scoring streak, but also changing the game when he doesn’t score or assist.
His high speed hide and seek game is making him beloved among Blues supporters, and McConaughey, a co-owner of MLS expansion franchise Austin FC, believes that Pulisic could help inspire the next wave of American soccer superstars.
Austin FC will compete in Major League Soccer in 2021, and will open a new stadium in north central Austin, which is not far from McConaughey’s home town of Uvalde, the same year.
“As far as Americans go in European leagues [Pulisic] would be top of the American’s game,” said Matthew McConaughey, who was at Stamford Bridge last night for the victory.
“Hopefully we can see more of that. Youth soccer in America is big, it is huge. There’s a real commitment there. My hope is that in eight to 10 years you’re going to see that generation actually having something to do with soccer around the world at a high level.
“We’ll see, I don’t think it’s ever going to take over American football or American basketball but it may take over hockey and baseball.
“So it’s good to see Pulisic out there and hopefully he keeps it up and hopefully more Americans can get up to his level.”
Matthew McConaughey, 50, became a part of the Austin FC ownership group a few months ago. Up next for Pulisic and Chelsea is a home league match against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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