Something special is unfolding in France’s top soccer division, and at the heart of it stands the Alabama-born godson of a famous college football coach.
Tanner Tessmann — on pace to make the U.S. World Cup squad this summer after captaining the 2024 U.S. Olympic team — was in the lineup again Saturday as Olympique Lyonnais won at Nantes 1-0 for its 12th consecutive victory across all competitions.
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Lyon has won six straight in Ligue 1 to ascend to third place — the final UEFA Champions League berth — along with three in a row to reach the French Cup quarterfinals and three straight in the Europa League, the continent’s second-most important club competition, to clinch first place in the 36-team opening stage.
Going unbeaten in a dozen matches is a feat, but to avoid not only defeats but draws is staggering. The streak seemed in peril this weekend when a red card left Lyon with 10 men for the last half-hour, but resolute defending and a Nantes shot off the post preserved the run, which began Dec. 11.
Lyon finished sixth each of the previous two Ligue 1 seasons and hasn’t ended in the top three since 2019.
Tessmann missed the first two games of the streak with a thigh injury and came off the bench in the subsequent two. Since then, he has started six of eight and substituted into the other two. Overall, the FC Dallas homegrown has appeared in 19 of 21 Ligue 1 matches, tying him for third on the squad, and started 16.
American midfielder Tanner Tessmann is peaking at the right time for the U.S. men’s national team.
(REUTERS / REUTERS)
The 24-year-old defensive midfielder is in his second season in France after three with Italian club Venezia. Tessmann’s godfather is Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, who has been best friends with Tessmann’s father P.J. since high school. P.J. runs Swinney’s charitable foundation.
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To Tanner, Swinney is “Uncle Bo.”
A talented soccer player and football kicker, Tessmann planned to play both sports at Clemson. Before enrolling, however, he signed a homegrown contract with FC Dallas.
His soccer path has taken him to two of Europe’s top five leagues — Italy’s Serie A in 2021-22 before relegation and France’s Ligue 1 the past two seasons — and up the U.S. ladder. Since playing every minute of four Olympic matches in France, he has integrated into Mauricio Pochettino’s senior squad. Last fall, he started twice and came off the bench twice, scoring in the 5-1 rout of Uruguay in Tampa.
With World Cup veteran Tyler Adams recovering from a knee injury, Tessmann’s role could grow this spring. Pochettino is expected to summon him for the friendlies in late March against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta — just a two-hour drive from Uncle Bo.
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Elsewhere in France, striker Folarin Balogun’s scoreless streak reached seven during his 90-minute effort in Monaco’s 0-0 draw at Nice.
Wing back Tim Weah (90 poor minutes) was part of fourth-place Olympique Marseille’s 5-0 embarrassment against the new front-runner, Paris Saint-Germain. Center back Mark McKenzie entered in the 81st of Toulouse’s 1-0 loss at Angers, ending his string of nine straight 90-minute stints.
Italy
With a 59th-minute header, midfielder Weston McKennie scored his fourth Serie A goal and seventh overall to spark Juventus’ two-goal rally for a 2-2 home draw with Lazio.
Forward Christian Pulisic and second-place AC Milan were off this weekend and, with the Winter Olympics leaving their home stadium unavailable, they will play their third consecutive away match Friday at Pisa.
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In just his second appearances in six matches, midfielder Yunus Musah entered in the 78th minute of Atalanta’s 2-1 victory over Cremonese.
In the second division, Jonathan Klinsmann earned his first clean sheet since Nov. 28, a span of 10 matches, as Cesena defeated Pescara 2-0.
Mexico
In his first start since late November, winger Alex Zendejas scored a marvelous goal on his 28th birthday as Club América edged Monterrey 1-0. A leg injury had sidelined him for the first four Liga MX Clausura matches before entering as a sub in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday.
England
Center back Chris Richards went the distance as Crystal Palace won at Brighton 1-0, ending a 12-game winless streak in all competitions since mid-December.
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Left back Antonee Robinson didn’t play in Fulham’s 2-1 loss to Everton, the first match he has sat out since his long-awaited return from injury in mid-December. Presumably he will return for Wednesday’s visit to second-place Manchester City.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson logged 78 minutes as Leeds rebounded from a four-goal loss at front-running Arsenal with a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest, staying six points above the relegation zone.
Striker Haji Wright’s scoreless streak hit three during a 90-minute effort in Coventry City’s 0-0 home draw with Oxford. Atop the second-tier table much of the campaign, the wobbling club yielded the top spot to Middlesbrough, which edged Sheffield United 2-1 on Monday. Nevertheless, with two teams assured promotion, Coventry holds a five-point cushion over third-place Ipswich Town.
Midfielder Aidan Morris went 88 minutes for Middlesbrough, which will visit Coventry next Monday.
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Forward Patrick Agyemang made his 21st consecutive start for Derby County in a 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town. The Rams slipped from seventh to ninth place, two points off the pace for a spot in the promotion playoffs.
Germany
Midfielder Malik Tillman played 90 in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-1 draw at Mönchengladbach, leaving the club sixth in the Bundesliga and three points from the last Champions League slot next season.
Mönchengladbach midfielder Gio Reyna missed his third consecutive match with a muscle injury, while right wing back Joe Scally was a 79th-minute substitute.
Midfielder James Sands made his 16th straight start as next-to-last St. Pauli surprised Stuttgart, 2-1. Defender Noahkai Banks played the first half of Augsburg’s 2-0 loss at Mainz.
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Forward Damion Downs’ scoreless streak since joining Hamburg on loan from Southampton hit 271 minutes after playing the second half of a 2-0 victory at Heidenheim.
In the second division, left back John Tolkin logged 90 in Holstein Kiel’s 3-1 loss at Hannover, its third straight setback to leave it two points safe of the relegation playoffs.
Netherlands
Right back Sergiño Dest played all of PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 comeback victory at Groningen, stretching the leaders’ streak in the Eredivisie to 16-0-2 since Sept. 13 and 19-1-2 overall.
Scotland
Center back Auston Trusty went 120 minutes as Celtic outlasted Dundee 2-1 in the Scottish Cup’s round of 16. Celtic scored the equalizer in the final seconds of stoppage time.
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Spain
Atletico Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso missed his second consecutive match with a muscle injury. … Former Orlando City right back Alex Freeman made his Villarreal debut, playing the last 17 minutes of a 4-1 rout of Espanyol.