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When Hany Mukhtar turned up in Nashville in January 2020, not many people took notice.
The Berlin-born attacking midfielder had signed as Nashville SC’s first Designated Player the previous August, but upon arriving in the Music City from Danish club Brondby, he was pretty much anonymous.
“Three years ago, no one really knew who I was,” said a chuckling Mukhtar in a recent interview with ESPN. “Before, no one really cared about us as a soccer team in the beginning.
“But now they’re asking questions like, ‘When is the next game?’ Now, most of the kids are recognizing me, they’re saying, ‘Hi, Hany Mukhtar’ and they’re doing the goal celebration (captain’s salute) in front of me.”
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
A similar story can be told about Argentine attacker Sebastian Driussi and Austin FC.
In a city where there is more scrutiny about who is under center playing quarterback for the Texas Longhorns than who is the occupant of the Governor’s Mansion, Driussi has quickly forged his way into the Austin mainstream for his play with the Verdes since joining in August 2021 from Zenit St. Petersburg.
“It’s something really wonderful, really beautiful,” Driussi said following Austin’s regular season finale on Sunday against the Colorado Rapids. “The people here in Austin bring me a lot of affection when I’m on the field or even when I’m on the street. The fans always treat me in the best manner and for a player that is very important, so I’m very grateful to the fans for all of that.”
These two players might come from different continents and speak different languages, but at a closer look, they share some similarities. Unlike Major League Soccer’s more heralded stars in its bigger markets, like Carlos Vela at LAFC, Josef Martinez at Atlanta United or Inter Miami’s Gonzalo Higuain, both Mukhtar and Driussi have found great success in a pair of new franchises located in medium-size markets. That has produced a unique link between the two over…
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Source : espn
