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Offensive star Hany Mukhtar isn't scoring goals like he used to. Nashville SC is fine with it
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- Offensive star Hany Mukhtar isn't scoring goals like he used to. Nashville SC is fine with it
Hany Mukhtar slowed his run-up at the last moment, chipping the ball clean into the center of the net. He then ran, arms outstretched, to greet the Philadelphia Union supporters' section, who had angrily protested the call that gave Mukhtar a penalty kick by throwing hot dogs on to the field.
It was a vintage Hany Mukhtar moment — moments that have become ever more fleeting in 2025.
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Yet Nashville SC is off to its best start since it joined Major League Soccer.
Nashville (3-1-1, 10 points) has scored eight goals through five league games, its most ever. But only one of them was scored by the man who was named MLS MVP in 2022 after finding the net 23 times that season, and 62 times in all from 2021 to 2024.
For years, Nashville has wanted to evolve to become less reliant on Mukhtar's singular offensive gifts. This is what that looks like.
"The more attacking weapons we have as a group, you're not going to be able to key in on one or two guys," coach B.J. Callaghan said. " . . . We're not so much focused on who scores the goals. We're focused on creating the best goal-scoring chances we can."
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Seven players have scored for Nashville. That tally includes every position group: forwards Mukhtar, Sam Surridge , Jonathan Perez and Ahmed Qasem ; midfielder Alex Muyl ; and defenders Andy Najar and Josh Bauer . Nashville's leader in assists is left back Daniel Lovitz with three.
"That's just a testament to our DNA," Bauer said after Saturday's 3-0 win over CF Montreal . "Anyone on this team at any given moment can hurt you. We all have that confidence."
While Mukhtar's goals have tailed off — from 23 in 2022 to 15 in 2023 to eight last season — it's not apparent that he has become a worse player. He's still contributing heavily to Nashville's attack; he has two assists, and per FotMob , he leads the team and ranks third in MLS with 14 chances created.
Over the years, opponents have put more emphasis on limiting Mukhtar, forcing him to take more of his shots from less-dangerous areas against set defenses. During his MVP season, he took 127 shots, 35% of which were outside the 18-yard box, per WhoScored.com . Since the start of 2024, more than half of his shots have come from distance.
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"The whole league knows me now, it's not a secret who I am," Mukhtar said last week. "Most of the defenders know what I like to do."
MORE: Why Nashville SC top prospect Chris Applewhite represents bright future for MLS team
That much gravity around Mukhtar opens up plenty of space for his teammates, and unlike in past seasons, Nashville has players who can take advantage. Surridge scored 15 goals last season, while Qasem has two goals in four games since signing in February. New midfielder Edvard Tagseth has excelled in a ball-progression role, with two assists. And forward Jacob Shaffelburg and midfielder Gaston Brugman are still working their way back to full health.
"It's always healthy and good for the team if you have multiple people on the field who can decide a game, who can score a goal," Mukhtar said. "It takes a little bit of attention away from me, but this is also credit to the team that we can score goals without me. But I will score my goals, I will continue to work hard and do my best and try to get better. It's a long season, it's just the start."
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Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC off to best-ever MLS start with Hany Mukhtar scoring drop
