Christian_pulisic_-_asn_top_-_milan_celebration_-_9-20-25
Americans abroad

Pulisic, Tessmann, Richards, & Weah all standout with top weekend performances

ASN's Brian Sciaretta writes up his thoughts for the weekend with Americans abroad as Christian Pulisic and Tanner Tessmann turned in the best performances while Tim Weah had the best result, on Monday. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
September 22, 2025
2:00 PM

THE WEEKEND FOR AMERICANS abroad saw a few players like Christian Pulisic, Tanner Tessmann, and Chris Richards turn in top performances – but for the most part it was a lot quieter than usual. The list of top players either injured or not playing much continues to be long – which should be a concern for the U.S. national team.

If you are looking at players who have had a major role with the national team in recent years, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah are in a perilous position with their minutes. Antonee Robinson and Johnny Cardoso are injured.

Let’s get right into it starting with the top stories

 

Top stories

 

Pulisic MOTM for Milan

 

While AC Milan has been uneven to start the season, Christian Pulisic has been consistently good. On Saturday away against Udinese in Northern Italy, Pulisic was at his best as he scored two goals and added an assist in a 3-0 win.

His first goal came off a rebound.



The second was off a nice run from Adrien Rabiot who then played Pulisic into a dangerous spot for the goal.



While Milan is trying to rebound from a tough season and return to the elite of Italy, Pulisic remains constantly good and a player who should help them get there. For the USMNT, it is not necessarily the worst thing that he doesn’t have a heavy schedule in a World Cup year. Without European games, he is limited to just Serie A and cup matches.

After a season opening loss, Milan has won its last three games and ends the weekend in third place.

 

Tessmann stars in Lyon win

 

Tanner Tessmann had a huge game for Lyon on Friday in a 1-0 win over Angers. Not only did he former FC Dallas homegrown score the game’s only goal, he dominated the midfield. Afterward, he earned high praise from L’Equipe who praised him for being on a “high level” to start the season.



Tessmann’s big moment came in the 65th minute when he put home a rebound off a corner kick.



For Tessmann, he is a player who Lyon needs to earn a spot back in the Champions League next season. Through five games, Lyon has four wins and 12 points to sit in third.

For the USMNT, Tessmann is part of an extremely crowded midfield. Very good players will get cut from these positions. But Tessmann’s athleticism and size will give him an advantage – even against mainstays such as Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah.

 

Weah part of massive Marseille win
 

After the game was delayed by a day due to storms, Marseille defeated Paris St. Germain 1-0 at home on Monday. Tim Weah played 74 minutes at right wingback in the win and was part of several defensive moments to help with the upset win.

Weah won 6/8 ground duels, had five tackles and was 18/22 in passing during the upset win.



It caps off a great week for the New York native who scored against Real Madrid in the Champions League last week at Estadio Bernabéu.

With the win, Marseille moved into sixth place.

 

Richards helps Place win away
 

Crystal Palace defeated troubled West Ham 2-1 away on Saturday in a London Derby. U.S. national team central defender Chris Richards was in top form playing on the right side of a three-man backline.

The numbers were extremely impressive: 17 defensive contributions, 4/4 in ground duels, 3/4 in aerials, four tackles. The club was quick to spread the word on Richards on social media.



Palace has yet to be defeated through five games in the Premier League, although three draws has seen them lose points. Still, they sit in a respectable fifth place in the early going. Richards is a big part of it.

A big part of how the U.S national team performs next summer at the World Cup will come down to how well Chris Richards plays. He’s one of the team’s best players and the team’s best central defender.

 

Tillman, Reyna, Scally meet in the Bundesliga
 

Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach played to a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Malik Tillman opened the scoring in the 70th minute with a goal off a counterattack before M’Gladbach equalized in stoppage time.

Tillman was able to get on the end of a scuffed shot from a teammate before he put it into the lower corner.



Tillman went all 90 minutes for Bayer as Joe Scally went 90 for M’Gladbach. Gio Reyna went the last 10 minutes for M’Gladbach.

Overall, Tillman was passive for most of the game up to the goal. Most of the time he played ball safely and didn’t try enough aggressive attack-minded passes. The goal was nice, albeit fortuitous.

Scally was the best American of the three. He defended well and was very dangerous getting into the attack. His passing and crosses were generally on point and this was the best he has looked all season. Whether that means he gets back into the USMNT picture is a different question.

Reyna hit some crips passes but it should be concerning that he wasn’t even the first offensive sub off the bench.

 

Morris & Boro atop Championship
 

On Friday, Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough kept up their terrific start to the Championship season with a 2-1 win over West Brom Albion (where George Campbell went 90 minutes in central defense in the loss).

Morris didn’t stand out as much as he has in recent outings, but he is a huge part of this team, and he is a reason why Boro’s midfield might be the best in the league. Boro now has 16 points from six games and is four points clear of second place Stoke City.

 

The question for Morris is whether he gets back onto the USMNT in October. Consider the USMNT central midfield player pool: Adams, McKennie, Musah, Cardoso, McGlynn, Sands, Tessmann, Berhalter, De la Torre, and Morris. Players from that list are going to get cut. It is not going to be easy to make the team in this position.

But Morris has a real shot.

 

Tolkin named to Team of the Matchday

 

In the 2.Bundesliga, Holstein Kiel continues to climb after losing the first two games of the season. On Saturday, Holstein Kiel defeated Karlsruher 3-0 to move into ninth place with nine points from six games.

John Tolkin played 75 minutes in the win and assisted on the team’s second goal with a well-delivered corner.

For his efforts he was named to Kicker's Team of the Day for the 2.Bundesliga

 

Tolkin has been in Germany (whether the Bundesliga or the 2.Bundesliga) as he was with the New York Red Bulls – consistently good. Still, reading the tea leaves seems to suggest he is behind Max Arfsten for the USMNT backup left back spot. But with Antonee Robinson still out for Fulham, maybe both Tolkin and Arfsten get an October call-up and both can compete. Arfsten is a good player, but is more of a winger than a left back, like Tolkin.

 

Anello nets hattrick

 

In Uruguay’s Primera, Agustin Anello scored a hatrick for Boston River on Saturday. The Miami-area native scored the first three goals of the game as Boston River cruised to a 6-1 win over last place Plaza Colonia.



Anello, 23, had one call-up to the U.S. U-23 team last cycle in late 2023 but did not stick with the team. But Uruguay’s Primera can be a steppingstone to move to better leagues within South America or possibly Europe (where Anello played previously in Belgium, Croatia, and the Netherlands). MLS might also become an option for him as well if he continues to play well.


 

Yanks in the Premier League

 

Tyler Adams had another very good performance for AFC Bournemouth in what was ultimately a disappointing 0-0 draw against Newcastle at home. Defensively, Adams was on point with five interceptions, four tackles, and very positive dual-winning numbers. But the team’s offense could not find a winner.



Bournemouth has still had an excellent start to the season and sits in fourth place.

Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United did what they had to do, coming up with a comfortable 3-1 win on the road against a bad Wolves team that has no points through five games. For Leeds to avoid relegation, it must win against beatable teams.

Aaronson got the start and played 89 minutes. He brought some energy to the game and missed the target high on a good chance in the 26th minute. Will he get back into the USMNT picture? Possibly, but he probably needs to do more than what he is showing.

Meanwhile, Antonee Robinson is still not back on the field for Fulham, who defeated Brentford 3-1 on Sunday. There hasn’t been much clarity on where he stands in his recovery.

 

Yanks in the Championship

 

After Morris and Campbell (discussed above), the rest of the Americans in the Championship were forwards – and they all came up empty this weekend.

Josh Sargent and 14th-place Norwich dropped a 3-2 decision at home to Wrexham. Sargent had three shots, all in the first half, with only one on target – a 42nd minute shot from distance that was easily saved. He has been cold since the international break, which is not good for him with regards to his USMNT hopes as his competition is all playing well.

Haji Wright and Coventry played Leicester City to a 0-0 draw. Wright only had 21 touches over his 86 minutes with six completed passes and one shot (off target). He never really got into this match for sixth-place Coventry.

Charlie Kelman and 11th place Charlton Athletic defeated Sheffield United 1-0 on the road. The winning goal came in stoppage time, long after Kelman was subbed out in the 61st minute. Kelman is still yet to get on the board this season and in this game he had one shot and just two completed passes over 12 touches.

Damion Downs and Southampton were defeated by Hull City 3-1 and Downs had a tough day. The USMNT international had 11 touches over 62 minutes with two completed passes and two shots. That made for a minimal impact for Downs as Southampton fell to 19th place.

Patrick Agyemang played the entire second half for Derby County in a 1-0 loss at home to Preston North End. He had two shots, with his best coming in the 65th minute when he forced a save from the right side of the box.

It total, it was rather startling that none of these five American forwards could find the net across 344 total minutes.

 

Yanks in Serie A

 

Juventus played Hallas Verona to a 1-1 draw with Weston McKennie going as an unused sub. That’s not good and there is Italian media saying he isn’t in the plans anymore. But we need to see first if he plays midweek in the Champions League.

Atalanta crushed Torino 3-0 in Turin with Yunus Musah only playing for the last three minutes. It might be an uphill climb for Musah, who is only at the club on loan. Atalanta have been playing well in Serie A games and it will be a tough lineup to crack. Musah didn’t help his case against Paris St. Germain last week.

 

Yanks in Serie B

 

Cesena defeated Venezia 2-1 in Venice on Saturday. Jonathan Klinsmann made two saves in the win and the only goal he conceded was a penalty taken by Gianluca Busio, who played all 90 minutes. Cesena sits third, with 10 points from four games. Venezia has just five points.

Wisconsin-born forward Andrija Novakovich, 29, played the last 10 minutes for Reggiana in a 2-2 draw with Catanzaro.  

 

Yanks in the Bundesliga

 

Aside from the Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Monchengladbach match, there wasn’t much to report on with Americans in the Bundesliga.

James Sands started for St. Pauli in a 2-0 loss at Stuttgart. While he has been very good to start the season, this was a bit of a setback. He committed five fouls, was 4/12 in ground duels, 3/8 in aerials, and wasn’t involved much.

Kristoffer Lund did not get off the bench for Cologne in a 3-1 loss to RB Leipzig. This comes at a time when he needs to be playing to have a USMNT chance.

Mainz defeated Augsburg 4-1 but both Mainz’s defensive midfielder Lennard Maloney and Augsburg central defender Noahkai Banks were unused subs. Both teams are in the bottom third of the table to start the season.

Meanwhile, Cole Campbell was unused for Borussia Dortmund, Timmy Chandler did not make the bench for Eintracht Frankfurt, and Kevin Paredes remains out with a long-term injury for Wolfsburg. Campbell will now leave BVB to join the United States U-20 team for the U-20 World Cup.

 

Yanks in the 2.Bundesliga

 

In Germany’s second tier, several Americans were in action.

 

Santiago Castaneda, 20, went 79 minutes in a 2-0 away win over Hertha BSC. The young defensive midfielder from Tampa completed 41/49 of his passes in the victory which lifted Paderborn into sixth place. The USMNT is probably out of reach for Castaneda this cycle but he is one to watch once the new cycle begins.

Mael Corboz, 30, played well and picked up an assist for Arminia Bielefeld in a 3-1 loss to Greuther Furth. Corboz also created five scoring opportunities. Meanwhile, Isaiah Young started for Arminia Bielefield up top but was pulled at halftime. Julian Green played the last 11 minutes for Greuther Furth while Max Dietz is out injured. Arminia Bielefeld sits eighth while Greuther Furth sits 10th.

Johan Gomez played the final 31 minutes for Eintracht Braunschweig in a 4-1 loss to Elversberg. Eintracht has just one point from its last four games and fell to 12th place.

 

Yanks in Ligue 1

 
Folarin Balogun was an unused substitute for Monaco in a 5-2 win over Metz. Balogun was likely being rested for the upcoming Champions League game after a tough outing last week where he struggled in a loss.

With the win combined with Paris St. Germain’s loss to Marseille, Monaco end the weekend atop Ligue 1 due to the second tiebreaker of goals scored.

Mark McKenzie and Toulouse dropped a bad 1-0 loss away at Auxerre. Toulouse had a man advantage starting in the 64th minute but could not find goal. McKenzie did not stand out in his duel winning or other defensive statistics. He committed three fouls as well. On a positive note, he had four clearances.

 

Yanks in the Eredivisie

 

In one of its biggest Eredivisie games of the season, PSV played Ajax to a 2-2 draw at home. PSV held a lead until the 89th minute when they conceded a late equalizer.

Sergino Dest conceded a 31st minute penalty on Ajax’s first game to seal what was a tough week for him following a Champions League opening loss to Union SG.  

Ricardo Pepi played all 90 minutes but had only 17 touches. He had one very good chance in the 52nd minute but sent a close-range header immediately at the goalkeeper for a save.

PSV remained in second place with the result, three points behind Feyenoord.

One major takeaway is that the injury to PSV forward Ruben van Bommel makes Pepi now critical to PSV. 

FC Twente defeated Sparta Rotterdam 5-1 on Friday with Taylor Booth playing just the final six minutes of the win. The team’s final goal was scored with him on the field.

 

Elsewhere

 

Johnny Cardoso was out for Atletico Madrid with an injured ankle and missed a 1-1 draw way to Mallorca. Atletico has just six points from five games to sit 12th.

In the Segunda, Jonathan Gomez played 71 minutes for Albacete in a 2-0 win over Real Valladolid. It was a big upset win for the club to climb to 18th place.

Konrad de la Fuente was unused for AD Cueta in a 1-0 win over Real Zaragoza.

Nick Markanich was also unused for Castellon in a 3-1 win over Cultural Leonesa.

In Belgium’s top tier, Standard Liege defeated Westerlo 2-0 on the road. Marlon Fossey started for Standard at right back but was subbed out at the half. Griffin Yow started at right wing for Westerlo and was subbed out at the half. Bryan Reynolds played all 90 minutes at right back in the loss. Standard now sits in eighth place while Westerlo is in 12th place.

In Portugal’s top tier, Jordan Pefok started and played 83 minutes for Tondela in a 0-0 draw with Estrela da Amadora. Pefok had a goal in the first half called back for offside. Tondela sits second to last with two points from six games.

Korede Osundina played the last 31 minutes for 12th-place Casa Pia in a 1-1 draw at home with Famalicao.

In Austria’s Bundesliga, George Bello played a strong 90 minutes for LASK in a 2-0 win over BW Linz on Sunday while Samuel Adinerian did not play for LASK, which sits 10th in the 12-team league.

Quincy Butler started but was pulled at halftime for 8th place WSG Tirol in a 1-1 draw at Altach.

In Poland’s Ekstraklassa, Jagiellonia Bialystok defeated Wisa Pock 1-0 with Leon Flach going 68th minutes in defensive midfield for fourth-place Jagiellonia Bialystok.

In the Greek Super League, Panathinaikos and Olympicos played to a 1-1 draw in the always nasty Derby of the Eternal Enemies. Erik Palmer-Brown went 90 minutes for Panathinaikos, which had a 1-0 lead into stoppage time before conceding a late equalizer. Panathinaikos has just two points from its first three games.

In Norway’s Eliteserien, Ian Hoffman played a strong 79 minutes at right back for Kristiansund in a 2-0 win over Haugesund. The win moved Kristiansund six points clear of the relegation playoff position.

In Bulgaria’s top flight, Jose Gallegos subbed into the game in the 67th minute and assisted on Botev Vratsa’s equalizer in a 1-1 draw with CSKA Sofia. Botev Vratsa now sits seventh in Bulgaria.

Post a comment

AmericanSoccerNow.