The good news for Nashville SC in Thursday’s season-opening win was that midfielder Hany Mukhtar and forward Sam Surridge looked like a deadly duo.
The bad news? Both standout players left the CONCACAF Champions Cup game early due to injury.
kAmxE D9@F=5?’E E2<6 =@?8 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C |F<9E2C WH9@ 2AA62C65 E@ DF776C 2 =67E 92>DEC:?8 :?;FCJX 2?5 $FCC:586 WH9@ D66>:?8=J DFDE2:?65 2 D9@F=56C :?;FCJX 2C6 @FE 7@C 2? 6IE6?565 A6C:@5[ 2D }2D9G:==6 @A6?D :ED |{$ D4965F=6 @? $F?52J 282:?DE }6H *@C< #65 qF==D 2E v6@5:D !2C<]k^Am
kAm~FED:56 @7 E96 :?;FC:6D[ E96C6 H2D A=6?EJ E@ =:<6 23@FE }2D9G:==6’D b\_ H:? @G6C |@42 ur 2E r:32@ $E25:F> :? E96 s@>:?:42? #6AF3=:4]k^Am
kAm%96 G:4E@CJ 82G6 E96 q@JD :? v@=5 2 4@>>2?5:?8 =625 :? E96 9@>6\2?5\9@>6 D6C:6D[ H:E9 |@42 EC2G6=:?8 E@ }2D9G:==6 @? u63] ag 7@C E96 D64@?5 =68] pDDF>:?8 }2D9G:==6 >2:?E2:?D :ED 25G2?E286[ :E H:== 25G2?46 E@ E2<6 @? {:@?6= |6DD: 2?5 x?E6C |:2>: ru :? E96 #@F?5 @7 `e @? |2C49 f]k^Am
kAmp }2D9G:==6 E62> E92E DECF88=65 >:89E:=J E@ D4@C6 8@2=D =2DE D62D@? — 4@==64E:?8 ;FDE bh :? bc 82>6D — =@@<65 G6CJ E9C62E6?:?8 282:?DE |@42[ 7:?:D9:?8 4=62?=J EH:46 :? E96 @A6?:?8 ad >:?FE6D E@ E2<6 2 a\_ =625]k^Am
kAmxE H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^}2D9G:==6$r^DE2EFD^`fe_gaahhgchcb`ggacQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m|F<9E2C H9@ D4@C65 7:CDEk^DEC@?8mk^2m[ H@C<:?8 2 A6C764E 8:G6\2?5\8@ H:E9 $FCC:586 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 3@I 367@C6 62D:=J 362E:?8 |@42 8@2=<66A6C !2D4F2= #2>:C6K E@ E96 72C D:56 `a >:?FE6D :?E@ E96 82>6] %96 EH@ C6G6CD65 C@=6D :? E96 adkDFAmE9k^DFAm >:?FE6[ 2D |F<9E2C’D E9C@F89 A2DD 4@??64E65 H:E9 $FCC:586 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 3@I] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^D@446C^?2D9G:==6\D4\DFCC:586\9@A6\E@\DE2CE\D62D@?\@?\C:89E\7@@E\E9:D\H66<^2CE:4=60`h3f7e2g\5_bg\``66\he7b\ebe6hhgb2cdf]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m%96 3:8 t?8=:D9 DEC:<6Ck^DEC@?8mk^2m[ H9@ 92D ?@H 925 2 7F== @77D62D@? 2?5 EC2:?:?8 42>A H:E9 9:D }2D9G:==6 E62>>2E6D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^}2D9G:==6$r^DE2EFD^`fe_gaef`hgdaf`e`fcQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m92>>6C65 2 D9@Ek^DEC@?8mk^2m 7C@> :?D:56 E96 3@I E92E #2>:C6K 4@F=5 86E @?=J 2 92?5 @?]k^Am
kAm|F<9E2C =67E E96 82>6 :? E96 bdkDFAmE9k^DFAm >:?FE6 27E6C 8@:?8 5@H? H:E9@FE 4@?E24E[ 2?5 96 =:>A65 E@ E96 D:56=:?6] $FCC:586 H2D 9FCE :? 2 4@==:D:@? H:E9 E62>>2E6 %J=6C q@J5 2D 3@E9 EC:65 E@ A=2J 2 4C@DD65 32== :? E96 3@I :? E96 dbkDFAmC5k^DFAm >:?FE6] w6 2AA62C65 D92<6? FA[ H:E9 EC2:?6CD :?:E:2==J E6?5:?8 E@ 9:D =67E D9@F=56C]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^?D4^?2D9G:==6\D4\>2<6D\D:8?:7:42?E\492?86D\9625:?8\:?E@\a_ac^2CE:4=60``5edecc\2h4_\``66\33g7\737e4_2cg2d7]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m$A62<:?8 @7 q@J5k^DEC@?8mk^2m[ 96 =@@<65 @FEDE2?5:?8 :? 9:D 7:CDE }2D9G:==6 2AA62C2?46 7@==@H:?8 2 EC256 7C@> {p v2=2IJ :? s646>36C]k^Am
kAmq@J5 3682? E96 82>6 @? E96 =67E H:?8[ 3FE >@G65 2== @G6C E96 7:6=5 H96? E96 q@JD :? v@=5 2EE24<65] w:D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^}2D9G:==6$r^DE2EFD^`fe_gce_f_hdbfebagcQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m677@CED H6C6 C6H2C565k^DEC@?8mk^2m :? E96 fdkDFAmE9k^DFAm >:?FE6[ H96? q@J5 H@C<65 2 8:G6\2?5\8@ H:E9 %62= qF?3FCJ[ E2<:?8 E96 DEC:<6C’D C6EFC? A2DD :? E96 3@I 2?5 8:G:?8 E96 G:D:E@CD 2 b\_ =625]k^Am
kAm“%J=6C 92D 366? 2 H@?56C7F= 255:E:@? E@ E96 8C@FA[” }2D9G:==6 4@249 v2CJ $>:E9 E@=5 >65:2 27E6CH2C5] “w6 92D D62>=6DD=J D6EE=65 :?E@ E96 E62> 2?5 :D 2 G6CJ G6CD2E:=6 2EE24<:?8 A=2J6C] w6 :D E649?:42==J G6CJ 8@@5 2?5 G6CJ :?E6==:86?E] x E9:?< H92E H6VG6 D66? E@52J :D 96 92D E96 23:=:EJ :? 7C@?E @7 E96 8@2= E@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46] w6 2=D@ 92D E96 23:=:EJ E@ 3C62< 2?5 5C:G6 36J@?5 5676?56CD]k^Am
kAm“qFE x E9:?< H92E DE2?5D @FE E96 >@DE[ 46CE2:?=J 7C@> E96 82>6D E92E H6VG6 D66? D@ 72C[ :D E92E :EVD ?@E ;FDE 2== 23@FE ,q@J5. :?5:G:5F2==J] w6 A:4<D A2DD6D @FE H6==[ 2?5 9:D A6C7@C>2?46 E@52J H2D @7 2 G6CJ 9:89 =6G6=]”k^Am
kAm}2D9G:==6 A=2J65 H:E9@FE :?;FC65 DE2CE:?8 5676?56CD (2=<6C +:>>6C>2? 2?5 s2?:6= {@G:EK[ 3FE DE:== C68:DE6C65 E96 4=62? D966E] %96 q@JD :? v@=5 5@>:?2E65 E96 82>6[ 9@=5:?8 A@DD6DD:@? @7 E96 32== 7@C ?62C=J e_ A6C46?E @7 E96 4@?E6DE 2?5 @FED9@@E:?8 |@42 e\b]k^Am

