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Americans abroad

Yanks abroad: Tessmann's big goal, Weah MOTM, Wessah & Kochen shine in busy weekend

ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks down the weekend for Americans abroad in great detail in his weekly column - starting with a productive weekend for the Yank contingent in France
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
October 19, 2026
7:15 AM

AS ALWAYS, the weekend abroad gave us a lot of news to cover with American players who now play in leagues across the globe. Some of the news was good, some of it was bad, some of it was in-between but it helped bring into focus where a good portion of the U.S. national team player pool plays.

For now, we will start in France.

 

Tessmann lifts Lyon in important outing 

 

Tanner Tessmann has had a difficult start to the season for Lyon with his minutes having mostly come off a bench as a late substitute. But on Sunday, the Alabama native was given a chance to start against Nice. 

Tessmann, 25, took full advantage of the opportunity and his best moment came in the 36th minute money headed home a free kick Zachary Athekame. That goal made it 2-1 for Lyon, which was the final score. 

 

Even beyond the goal, Tessmann played well. He won all of his aerials and passed well to allow Lyon to control the midfield. The win moved them into first place, even on points with PSG but head on goal differential. 

For Tessmann, this was a critical performance that he needed to have that can potentially keep him in the starting lineup. For him to chase a spot in the Champions League and a return to the national team, he needs to be starting. He made a strong case in this game.

 

Weah MOTM with 2 assists

 

Tim Weah, 26, had his best performance of the season and likely of all of 2026 on Sunday as he played the full 90 minutes for Marseille in a 5-2 away win over Angers. Playing right back, Weah had two assists and completed 46/49 of his passes to lead his team to the win. 

After conceding the opening goal, Marseille responded in the 37th minute when Weah’s cross set up Himad Abdelli’s header from close range for an equalizer. 

 

In the 85th minute his header set up Igor Paixao’s strike for the final goal of the game. 

This was also an important performance from Weah, as he had appeared to be struggling with his confidence for most of the year. It affected him at the World Cup when he played only sparring outside of the start against Turkey (where he did not play well).

Marseille now has nine points from 7 games and is playing better than at the start of the season. For Weah, the real test will come in the weeks ahead when we can see if this performance sees him return to the level he was at in 2025.

 

Reyna scores in loss to PSG

 

Strasbourg lost its third game in a row, but Gio Reyna scored in a 3-1 loss to reigning European champions PSG. Just as important as the goal, Reyna played the full 90 minutes and is probably in the best physical condition he has been in several years. 

The goal was a little lucky as it took a big deflection, but the two–time World Cup veteran did well to get into a dangerous position for the shot. For most of the game, Strasbourg had a surprising lead. It wasn’t until late when PSG scored three times to secure the win. 

 

As for the rest of Reyna’s performance, it was a mixed bag. But it was very tough for him to showcase himself because PSG was able to control 73% of the possession.

But Strasbourg needs wins. Right now, only a point separates the club from the bottom three of Ligue 1.

Reyna we have a big role in keeping the club in the top tier. Strasbourg was hit with a crisis in the off-season and had to unload many top players. Reyna, 23, was actually the oldest player in the starting lineup for Strasbourg outside of it goalkeeper, who is 24.

 

Freeman impresses, again

 

Another game, another big performance from Alex Freeman. This time it was in a full 90 shift at right back in a 0-0 draw vs Elche. 

Freeman, 22, was the only player in the game to get over 100 touches, at 101. He was instrumental in creating chances, maintaining possession, winning balls, and had 11 recoveries to boot.

 

His career the past two seasons has been remarkable and how he gets assigned a new challenge and breaks through it quickly. Very soon, he will be a top player for Villarreal in the same way, he is with the national team, and Orlando before that.

It is hard to think of an American player who has developed so much, so quickly.

 

Castaneda strong in Paderborn draw

 

Santiago Castaneda, 21, had one of his best performances in the Bundesliga this season when he went 90 strong minutes in defensive for Paderborn in a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen. 

The Tampa native won 5/6 of his ground duels, both of his aerials, had five clearances, four tackles, and four interceptions.

For Castaneda, the challenge is to try to show that he is effective at this level. If he does, it will keep him in the top flight, even if his club is relegated - that remains an unfortunate possibility given their size. Right now, they sit third from the bottom.

There is also the issue of the national team, and whether Castaneda will make his debut anytime soon. Obviously, playing in the Bundesliga helps. It helps even more to turn in consistently good performances. He is not there yet, but this was a step in the right direction. Competition is tough for his position with Tyler Adams, Tanner Tessmann, Johnny Cardoso, Brooklyn Raines, Yunus Musah, and others all in the mix. 

But with more performances, such as these, he becomes a strong candidate. It would not be surprising to see him make the team in November.

 

Kochen saves penalty in Lyngby draw

 

Lyngby is in a tough position in the Danish Superliga. With a likely relegation battle ahead, every point is important.  In that regard, Diego Kochen, 20, helped deliver a needed point in a 3-3 draw with Nordsjaelland on Sunday. 

The likely starting Olympic goalkeeper made a dramatic save in stoppage time when he dove to his right to deny Nicklas Rojakaer to endure draw. It was the fourth save of the game for the Florida native.

Lyngby currently sits in last on goal differential, but one win could theoretically push them into mid table as the standings are tight.

As for Kochen, he is doing well and is making the most of a tricky situation. He is obviously key to what could be a very good and exciting United States Olympic team in two years.

 

Adams helps Bournemouth to win

 

Tyler Adams, 27, played 89 minutes for AFC Bournemouth in a comfortable 2-0 win over a Sunderland team that was down to 10 men after just the 20th minute.

The United States national team captain was not under a lot of pressure in this game. But he did help his team a lot with his passing. His 8/8 with long range passing helped to switch the point of attack, and stretch the thin Sunderland defense.

 

In an interesting statistic from this game, Adams was the fastest player on the field with a top sprint reaching 20.3 mph.

After a slow start, this was Bournemouth’s first win of the season and the team might be on the verge of playing better and pushing back towards mid table. 

 

Brutal outing for Richards and Palace

 

For Chris Richards and his Crystal Palace teammates, it was a terrible weekend as they were blown out five – nothing by Brighton. Palace conceded three goals in the first 10 minutes and were never in the game.

 

Richards was far from the team’s biggest problem, but he did not play well either. He also struggled midweek in a 3–2. Lost to Lyon in the Europa League. On top of that, Zavier Gozo didn't even make the bench for Palace. 

Palace fans should be a little bit worried about the direction of the team as most of the performances over the past month and before the last international break have not been good. For the US national team, Richards is indispensable and is easily the team’s best essential defender. It’s not good when he is in poor form. Fortunately, there is plenty of time before he is really needed.

 

Pulisic & Musah start in Milan win

 

AC Milan defeated Atalanta 3-2 on Sunday with both Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah starting in the win. Pulisic appeared to have scored in the 13th minute but the goal was subsequently disallowed by VAR for being offside.



Aside from that moment, Pulisic made little impact.

The news was far better for Musah whose shot on goal in the 24th minute resulted in a handball for a penalty. It was not a perfect outing from Musah as he lost track of Gianluca Gaetano on Atalanta’s first goal. But Musah brought a lot of energy to Milan’s attack and he was likely motivated to play against an Atalanta team where he spent last year on an unsuccessful loan. He was also allowed to play his natural central position as opposed to on the wing and that likely helped put him into a good situation.

Musah had mixed performances with the U.S. national team during the September/October window, but outings like this will keep him into the mix as his minutes should be stable for Milan.

 

Murrell’s big day for Falkirk

 

If you struggle in MLS, there are European leagues that provide first-division alternatives. Jacob Murrell, 22, is proving that case after signing for Falkirk at the end of the summer transfer window. After scoring just three goals in 2.5 seasons for DC United, the former Georgetown University forward now has four goals in his first two months in the Premiership.

On Saturday, Murrell scored both of Falkirk’s goals in a 2-1 win over Hibernian. The win pulled Falkirk away from the bottom of the table while also sending Hibs into the bottom spot.

The first goal Murrell scored on the day was a first-rate shot.



This does not have much of an implication of the U.S. national team or youth national teams (as Murrell is too old for the Olympic team) but it shows the value of a typical American player and how they can provide value in Europe even if MLS minutes are not there yet.

 

Wessah productive in Fredrikstad loss

 

On Sunday in Norway’s Eliteserien, Fredrikstad lost  3-2 away to reigning champions Viking, who were coming off a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Fredrikstad’s best player was American attacker Gabriel Wessah, 18, who had a goal and an assist in the first half to send his club into halftime up 2-1. Unfortunately for the former Atlanta United academy player, his club could not hold the lead.

But the statistics do not show the quality of Wessah’s goal contributions. His equalizing assist was delightful chip over a defender during a counterattack to send his teammate in towards goal. The goal was a rocket from distance with his left foot after cutting centrally.



Wessah recently spent the international break with the U.S. U-19 team where he played well. That should give him an opportunity with the U-20 team ahead of next year’s U-20 World Cup. Given his form, he seems to be in a good position to make that team. Success there could then open doors for the Olympic team, although that team remains very competitive.

 

Albert plays first Bundesliga minutes this season

 

Mathis Albert, 17 made his first Bundesliga appearance of the season for Borussia Dortmund when he came into the game in the 70th minute of what resulted in a 0-0 draw with Union Berlin. It was Albert’s second Bundesliga appearance of his career after making a late cameo last April.

Aside from winning a free kick in the 75th minute, Albert did not do much but the takeaway is that more opportunities might head his way after Dortmund’s Konstantinos Karetsas injured his ankle in the 62nd minute. Albert would eventually replace Karetsas.

Dortmund is undefeated on the season and trails only Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table on goal differential.

 

Yanks in England

 

Antonee Robinson played 90 minutes at left back for Fulham in a 1-0 victory over Hull City, its first win of the Premier League season. With the win, Fulham climbed outside of the top three in the table.

Brenden Aaronson was an unused substitute for Leeds United in 1-1 draw against a struggling Manchester United team.

In the Championship, Middlesbrough fell behind 2-0 but rallied for a 2-2 draw in an otherwise disappointing result for a club that has promotion ambitions. Aidan Morris wen the full 90 while Sebastian Berhalter had a strong performance when he was subbed into the game at halftime and helped improve Boro’s level in the comeback. Max Arfsten played the final 16 minutes. Middlesbrough now sits in third, even on 22 points with second-place West Ham United, who both trail Swansea City by just a point.

Stoke City defeated Derby County 1-0 on the road to climb to sixth place. Jack McGlynn started but was pulled at halftime with the score 0-0. Luca Bombino was a rare first half substitute as he came into the game in the 38th minute and was very effective shoring up the left side of the field defensively – winning 12/13 of his ground duels and drawing three fouls. Derby now sits second to last in the table and awaits the return of USMNT forward Patrick Agyemang to help them in a relegation fight.

Sitting fifth place in the Championship is West Bromwich Albion who defeated Blackburn 3-2 on Saturday. Team captain and U.S. national team central defender George Campbell was strong in his 87 minute shift where he won nearly all of his aerials and duels while leading the game with 103 touches. He seems likely to return to the U.S. team in November.

Also, Charlton Athletic forward Charlie Kelman played 27 minutes off the bench in a 2-0 loss to Watford.

 

Yanks in Germany

 

Despite scoring a goal midweek in the Europa League in a 4-0 win over Lech Poznan, Malik Tillman returned to the bench for Bayer Leverkusen and played just the final 17 minutes in an impressive 2-1 win over a Freiburg team that was off to a red-hot start to the season. Tillman did not do much but the winning goal was scored with him on the field, at least. Either way, Tillman’s diminishing role at Bayer should be a cause for concern on the U.S. national team if he is seen as an important player.

Joe Scally played 90 unimpressive minutes for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 2-1 loss at home to Hoffenheim. M’Gladbach now has six losses in six games and is now in a full crisis. It is likely Scally’s final season at the club, but perhaps M’Gladbach tries to get something for him in January if it seems like relegation is unavoidable.

Lennard Maloney was a late stoppage-time substitute to help run out the clock of Mainz’s 1-0 away win over Schalke. Mainz now sits in third place with an impressive start to the season.

Cole Campbell picked up an ankle injury and missed Elversberg’s 4-3 win over Augsburg.

In the 2.Bundesliga, Isaiah Young, 28, played 59 minutes at left wing for Arminia Bielefeld in a 2-1 win over VfL Osnabruck. Both defensive midfield Leon Flach and left wingback Jonathan Gomez started for Osnabruck with Flach going 83 minutes and Gomez going 89. Arminia Bielefeld sits eighth place while Osnabruck sits 12th.

Jordan Pefok played 17 minutes for 10th-place Greuther Furth in a 2-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig.

Jonathan Tolkin, meanwhile, desperately needs to make a change in January as he was unused for last-place Holstein Kiel in a 0-0 draw with Hertha BSC.

 

Yanks in Italy

 

Weston Mckennie did not impress for Juventus in a 3-0 loss to Lazio to fall to eighth in Serie A.

Gianluca Busio is still out injured and missed Venezia’s shocking 1-0 upset win over Napoli.

Benjamin Cremaschi and Parma play Torino on Monday.

 

Yanks in France

 

Folarin Balogun did not do much for Monaco in a 1-0 loss to Lorient on Sunday to fall to fifth in Ligue 1.

Bryan Reynolds continues to make positive inroads in his return to one of Europe’s top leagues. The former FC Dallas product played all 90 minutes for Rennes in a 4-3 away loss to Paris FC. Reynolds played well but missed a golden chance to score in the 48th minute when his shot from the middle of the box was hit right at the keeper for a save. Reynolds might be in the mix for a return to the U.S. team given Scally’s struggles.

On Friday, Mark McKenzie played 90 minutes on a strong performance to help Toulouse defeat Le Mans 3-0 on the road. McKenzie is trying to leave Toulouse in a good shape when he returns to Philadelphia in January. After a poor start to the season, Toulouse is unbeaten in four games to climb to 11th place.

 

Yanks elsewhere

 

Johnny Cardoso was listed as out with an unspecified injury and missed Atletico 1-0 win over Espanyol. It is not known how much, if any, time he will miss.

In the Eredivisie, Sergino Dest played 90 minutes for PSV Eindhoven in a shocking 2-1 loss to ADO den Haag, who sits second-to-last. PSV fell to third and none of its players impressed in the loss – including Dest.

In Poland’s Ekstraklasa, U.S. Olympic hopeful Robert Deziel played 87 minutes in central defense for third-place Legia Warsaw in a 1-1 draw at Cracovia. Kahveh Zahiroleslam played the last five minutes for Cracovia. Kellyn Acosta played the last eight minutes for fourth-place Pogon Szczecin in a 1-0 win over GKS Katowice.

In Austria’s Bundesliga, Sam Adeniran started and scored for defending champions LASK in a 4-0 win over Austria Lustenau. It is Adeniran’s first goal since returning from surgery to repair a facial bone, while George Bello is out injured for LASK.

In Belgium, Marlon Fossey played 90 minutes for Standard Liege in a 1-0 loss at home to Sporting Charleroi. It was Standard’s third loss in a row to fall to ninth.

In Australia's A-League, Bryce Duke played all 90 minutes at left win for Wellington Phoenix in a 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory in New Zealand. The Victory are coached by naturalized American Giovani Savarese. 

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