Tanner Tessman’s ascent continues as Lyon enters the Champions League, according to the USMNT World Cup roster watch

Something special is unfolding in France’s top soccer division, and at its center is the Alabama-born son of a famous college football coach.

Tanner Tesman is expected to join the U.S. Tanner Tesman, who led the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, is expected to join the U.S. World Cup squad this summer. Olympic team. The Olympic team member was back in the lineup Saturday as Olympique Lyonnais won 1-0 in Nantes, marking their 12th straight victory in all competitions.

Lyon won six straight to finish third in Ligue 1

—the eventual UEFA Champions League berth—along with three in a row to reach the quarterfinals of the French Cup and three straight in the continent’s second-most important club competition, the Europa League, to finish first in the opening round of 36 teams.

To be unbeaten in a dozen matches is a feat, but to avoid not only a defeat but also a draw is astonishing. The streak was in jeopardy this weekend when a red card left Lyon with 10 men for the last half hour, but solid defending and a Nantes shot saved the run off the post, which started on December 11.

Lyon finished sixth in each of the previous two Ligue 1 seasons and have not finished in the top three since 2019.

Tesman missed the first two games with a thigh injury and came off the bench in the next two. Since then, he has started six of the eight and been substituted in the other two. Overall, the FC Dallas native has appeared in 19 of 21 Ligue 1 matches, tying him for third on the team, and starting 16.

The 24-year-old defensive midfielder is in his second season in France after three with Italian club Venezia. Tesman’s godfather is Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, who has been best friends with Tesman’s father, PJ, since high school. Run by PJ Sweeney’s Charitable Foundation.

Tanner says Sweeney is “Uncle Bo.”

A talented football player and football kicker, Tesman planned to play both sports at Clemson. But before enrolling, he signed a domestic contract with FC Dallas.

His footballing path has taken him to two of Europe’s top five leagues – Italy’s Serie A before relegation in 2021–22 and France’s Ligue 1 over the past two seasons – and up the US ladder. He has since played every minute of four Olympic matches in France for Mauricio Pochettino’s senior squad. Last fall, he started twice and came off the bench twice, scoring in a 5-1 win over Uruguay in Tampa.

With World Cup experience, Tyler Adams Tesman’s role could increase this spring as he recovers from a knee injury. Pochettino is expected to call him up for the late March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta – just a two-hour drive from Uncle Bo.

Strikers elsewhere in France, like Folarin Balogun, saw his 90-minute effort in Nice’s 0-0 draw with Monaco extend his scoreless streak to seven.

Wingback Team Wow (90 poor minutes) was part of fourth-placed Olympique Marseille’s 5-0 embarrassment against new front-runners Paris Saint-Germain. Back at center, Mark McKenzie entered the 81st in Toulouse’s 1-0 loss at Angers, ending his streak of nine straight 90 minutes.

Italy

With a 59th-minute header, midfielder Weston McKennie scored his fourth Serie A goal and seventh overall as Juventus rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Lazio.

Forward Christian Pulisic and second-placed AC Milan were both off this weekend; additionally, since their home stadium is unavailable due to the Winter Olympics, they will play their third consecutive away match in Pisa on Friday.

Midfielder Yunus Musa and Atlanta will host Cremonese on Monday.

In the second section, Jonathan Klinsmann Cesena beat Pescara 2-0 to earn their first clean sheet since November 28, a run of 10 matches.

Mexico

The winger made his first start in late November; Alex Zendejas’ Club America beat Monterrey 1-0 with a stunning goal on his 28th birthday. A foot injury ruled him out for the first four Liga MX Clausura matches before entering the CONCACAF Champions Cup as a sub on Wednesday.

England

Back to center, Chris Richard’s Crystal Palace won 1-0 at Brighton, ending a 12-game winless streak in all competitions since mid-December.

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left back Anthony Robinson Did not play in Fulham’s 2-1 loss to Everton, sitting out the first match since his long-awaited return from injury in mid-December. He is likely to return to second-placed Manchester City on Wednesday.

Midfielder Brendan Aaronson of Leeds bounced back from a four-goal defeat at Arsenal to lead with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in 78 minutes, staying six points above the relegation zone.

Striker Haji Wright: Coventry City’s 0-0 home draw with Oxford saw its scoreless streak hit three in a 90-minute effort. Having spent much of the campaign in the second-tier table, the club is in danger of finishing at the top when Middlesbrough visits Sheffield United on Monday. Despite the guaranteed promotion for both teams, Coventry maintains a five-point lead over third-placed Ipswich Town.

Midfielders Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are expected to start before travelling to Coventry next Monday.

Forward Patrick Agyemeng He made his 21st consecutive start for Derby County in a 2–1 loss to Ipswich Town. The Rams slipped from seventh to ninth place, falling two points short of qualifying for the promotion playoffs.

Germany

Midfielder Malik Tillman played 90 in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-1 draw at Mönchengladbach, which leaves the club sixth in the Bundesliga and three points off next season’s final Champions League spot.

Monchengladbach midfielder Geo Rena The right wing-back missed his third consecutive match with a muscle injury; Joe Scully was a 79th-minute substitute.

Midfielder James Sands His 16th start as the next to last St. Pauli Stuttgart was a surprise, 2-1. The defender Nohkai Banks played the first half of Augsburg’s 2–0 loss to Mainz.

Forward Damion Downs The scoreless streak since joining Hamburg on loan from Southampton hit 271 minutes in the second half of the 2-0 win at Hedenheim.

Left back in the second division, John Tolkien Holstein Kiel’s 3-1 defeat at Hannover by 90 minutes leaves it two points safe from the relegation playoffs, a third straight shock.

The Netherlands

Right back Sargino Dest played all of PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 win in Groningen on Sept. 13 and extended the Eredivisie leaders’ streak to 16-0-2 on Sept. 13 and 19-1-2 overall.

Scotland

Back to centre, Auston Trustee, 120 minutes went by as Celtic beat Dundee 2-1 in the round of 16 of the Scottish Cup. Celtic equalised in the dying seconds of stoppage time.

spain

Atletico Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso missed the second match in a row due to a muscle injury. … Wingback Alex Freeman of Villarreal will make his debut against Espanyol on Monday.