U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino invited actor and Austin FC co-owner Matthew McConaughey to speak to the American team, which is set to play a friendly in Austin next week. McConaughey response was immediate, and in the affirmative. “That’d be an honor,” he said.

Speaking on the CBS Sports pregame show ahead of Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup final between Austin FC and Nashville SC, Pochettino and McConaughey joined the desk together and spoke about the task of harnessing emotion and building a team ready to compete at the World Cup.

“I think the important thing is to create the platform for them to perform, but to link all together,” Pochettino said, when McConaughey asked how the coach prepared his best team for games. “Because I think the most important is how they feel and how they can create that (motivation) that will make them to be better and to perform really well.

“We can put the names on the field, but on the end if the connection doesn’t exist, it’s very difficult to perform. Because for me, like always, I say it’s an emotional game, and football, or soccer, is a context of emotion. If we are not able to manage that, it is difficult to perform.”

McConaughey pointed to the influence of the 1994 World Cup in launching MLS and said he expects soccer to become the country’s third most popular sport behind football and basketball.“So many casual fans are about to become rabid fans of this beautiful game after the World Cup,” the Oscar-winning actor said.

“I think this World Cup is going to do more for MLS soccer than anything has.”

Austin FC co-owner Matthew McConaughey was bullish about the impact the World Cup can have on MLS. (Daniel Jefferson / USSF / Getty Images)

Pochettino will name a roster tomorrow for friendlies against Ecuador on Oct. 10 in Austin and New Zealand on Oct. 14 in Colorado.

Pochettino alluded to players coming in from Europe, some of whom are in good form and others who are trying to fight for bigger roles with their team. No doubt he will be looking to strengthen the depth of the team in this window.

“The most important thing is that the players perform when arrives the big moment, that is the World Cup,” Pochettino said. “Now, of course, we need to help and to push them to perform and to play more. … I think we need to give the  (players) confidence. It’s a great opportunity to meet (with) all these guys and to offer the support.”

Pochettino was also asked whether the team will be playing in the three- or five-man back line, which it used in a win over Japan in a friendly last month.

“We have players that can fit for different formations and different ways to play,” he said. “And it’s important to be flexible and to have different options, (so that we’re) not predictable at some times during the game, and to have the possibility to change. I think we have the knowledge and we have the capacity to do it. We have players that can fit, that is why now is a moment to build two different ways to play, and to arrive at the World Cup with the best way.”

(Top photo: Ronald Blum / AP Photo)