Before Nashville SC traveled to Mexico City for the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal series against Club América, coach B.J. Callaghan reflected on the opportunity his squad had been given.

An opportunity to play in Estadio Azteca, the stadium where 40 years ago, the legendary Diego Maradona scored the "Goal of the Century." An opportunity to become the first MLS team to win a competitive match there. An opportunity to reach the semifinals of the Champions Cup for the first time ever, against the team that is tied for the most titles in the continental competition's history.

After the match on April 14 — a 1-0 Nashville victory, possibly the club's most impressive feat in its short existence — Callaghan and his players lingered on the field to take it all in.

MORE: Nashville SC advances to CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals with historic win over Club América

"It's a big step for this team, and in every sense of the word, it is a team," Callaghan said. "They're here to compete, but they're here to play for each other. That was on display tonight. And to be able to do it in a historical stadium where so many big players have had big moments over the years."

On this night, no one had a bigger moment than Hany Mukhtar.

Six minutes after the start of the second half, Nashville's top goal scorer of all time scored his 98th for the club. Mukhtar corralled a pass from Cristian Espinoza and took one touch before rifling a shot into the top of the net. Then he ran, arms outstretched, toward the end line, where he greeted the Azteca crowd with his signature salute.

Nashville won the U.S. Open Cup last season, beating Austin FC to claim its first trophy, yet Mukhtar told reporters after beating América that he considered this the club's biggest victory.

"These are the teams that we want to measure ourselves against," Callaghan said. "We are a young club, we're an ambitious club, and we're writing our chapter seven here. This will be one part of that story."

Nashville SC ​will face ⁠either Tigres UANL or the Seattle Sounders in the semifinals. The first legs of the semifinals will be April 28–30, with the second legs May 5–7.

Hany Mukhtar's impact

Azteca's reputation wasn't the only thing standing in Nashville's way. Striker Sam Surridge, who's dealing with a hamstring injury, didn't make the trip. Center back Jeisson Palacios left the game with an apparent injury in the second half. América battered Nashville with possession, especially after falling behind, and finished having outshot Nashville 18-8.

But goalkeeper Brian Schwake made nine saves, several of them difficult, and Jack Maher filled Palacios' shoes during the final minutes as a pall fell over the formidable stadium.

"We fought and we showed character," Mukhtar said. "It’s not easy to play here. Club América’s a huge club, good team, a lot of great players. We showed character, we were compact and we used our chances."

Nashville underwent a coaching change, from Gary Smith to Callaghan, in 2024. The team's style has shifted from conservative and defense-minded to aggressive and free-flowing. Players have come and gone. Walker Zimmerman, who like Mukhtar had been with the club since its first year in MLS, now plays for Toronto FC, and with the rise of Surridge and acquisition of Espinoza, Mukhtar no longer carries the attacking load he did during his MVP campaign four years ago.

Nevertheless, Mukhtar is just as important to Nashville in 2026 as he was in 2022. He dons the captain's armband when he's on the field, and appropriately, it was his goal that put Nashville just three matches away from being crowned champions of North America.

"He's the leader of our team," Callaghan said. "He brings so much on the field, including scoring goals. When you want to play against big teams and you want to advance in really prestigious tournaments, big-time players show up when the lights are the brightest."

Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on X/Twitter @Jacob_Shames.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hany Mukhtar lifts Nashville SC over Club América to Champions Cup semis