There is a new star in Nashville, but this one shines on the pitch instead of on the Grand Ole Opry. He’s Hany Mukhtar. And for the second year in a row, Hany has helped lead his second-year football club into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Hany Mukhtar is a strong candidate for league MVP thanks to his standout performance on the field this year. In the music industry, there is a well-established understanding of the “sophomore jinx.” A group or artist will release a second album after a hit debut record only to fail to achieve a similar benchmark or sales of the first offering.
Courtesy MusicCityNashville.net
Luckily, for Major League Soccer’s Mukhtar, that was not a concern, not in the least. The German-born mid-fielder dominates the turf for the boys in gold. He has become a fan favorite and the go-to free-kick specialist for the squad. This honor was validated yet again by his game-tying strike from a tough angle during Nashville SC’s last game of the season against the New York Red Bulls.
Fans will never forget Mukhtar’s mid-season “Hany hat trick” that saw the superstar score three times in six minutes to tally the fastest three goals for a player in MLS history. Mukhtar’s 2021 season found him starting 28 games with 31 overall appearances amassing 28 goals and 16 assists during that time to lead the club while winning over the hearts and minds of the Nashville SC faithful.
With a name reminiscent of “guitar,” perhaps Mukhtar has prospects for a music career when he finally hangs up his shoes. He is undoubtedly in the right city to make that happen.
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Submitted by Rich and Laura Lynch, published originally in their Music City Nashville.
