Mike Meredith/Club and Country
Make it a duo.
Hany Mukhtar, the MVP of Major League Soccer, was an obvious choice to make the Best XI for the season, but he’ll also be joined by a teammate. Defender Walker Zimmerman was named to the squad for the fourth straight year (and third time with Nashville SC).
While Nashville SC’s defense wasn’t quite as strong as the previous two years – it was the fifth-best in opponent-adjusted xG-against in each of those two seasons, and Zimmerman was the Defender of the Year both times, and dropped to eighth best in 2023 – the US International scored four goals, one better than either of those seasons, and was once again a talisman for NSC’s strong-at-the-back attitude.
Mukhtar – who led the league in goals and finished top 15 in assists – was a bit more obvious in terms of his contributions on the scoreboard, and after being named league MVP yesterday was an obvious selection to the team of the year. He is a repeat member as well, with his MVP runner-up finish in 2021 also seeing him earn first-team All-MLS.
Both players received contract extensions as DPs n the run-up to the season.
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