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Will Tessmann leapfrog McKennie, Musah to start World Cup for U.S.?
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Will Tessmann leapfrog McKennie, Musah to start World Cup for U.S.?

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  • Jeff CarlisleSep 25, 2025, 10:05 AM ET

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      Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.

The European club season has been in full swing for over a month now, giving those U.S. men’s national team players plying their trade overseas the chance to establish themselves. Some have gotten off to uneven starts, with the opening round of UEFA Champions League fixtures proving to be especially difficult. Others have hit the ground running. Those in MLS have been in rhythm for a while now.

Then there’s Christian Pulisic, who has been leading the U.S. charge in Europe for nine years now and already has five goals in all competitions this season. Fortunately for the USMNT, Pulisic is one of several players who have been hitting their stride in recent weeks.

Throughout the season, ESPN will be monitoring the progress of the U.S. player pool, delivering insights into those whose form or fitness has made them particularly intriguing. We call it the USMNT’s countdown to the World Cup.

ESPN will count down to June 11 every week so that way, when the U.S. team is announced for this highly anticipated World Cup on home soil, no names on that 26-man roster will come as a surprise.

Only 260 days to go.

– Rae: Will Gladbach instability be a blessing or a curse for Reyna?
– USMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 2.0: Balogun, Zendejas rise
– Carlisle: Zendejas’ starring role has come at the right time for USMNT

2025-26 minutes: 450
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.5

Tessmann proving he deserves to start in midfield

Tessmann had already enjoyed a solid start to the season, but last weekend he kicked his campaign into overdrive, scoring the lone goal in Lyon’s 1-0 victory over Angers, a result that put the club in a tie atop the Ligue 1 table, behind AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain on goal differential. Not bad for a team that was threatened with relegation due to financial irregularities before the start of the season.

As for Tessmann, the question remains: Will these performances be enough to get him back in the U.S. squad? He hasn’t been called up since the Concacaf Nations League in March. To be clear, they should be, but the mind of U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino works in mysterious ways. At minimum, Tessmann should be in contention to provide cover for Tyler Adams, or even crack the starting lineup.

2025-26 minutes: 264
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.1

USMNT could do with a dose of Tillman’s perseverance

Credit Tillman for showing a strong mentality, bouncing back from a dreadful match in midweek against F.C. København in the Champions League to deliver a man of the match performance against Borussia Mönchengladbach in which he scored his second league goal of the season. A tactical tweak from manager Kasper Hjulmand might have helped.

Against Copenhagen, Tillman was operating as one of the dual No. 10s and struggled mightily to get on the ball. Against Gladbach, he was deployed deeper in midfield and had a much stronger impact on the game, even beyond his 70th-minute goal. Hjulmand afterward continued to preach patience, as Tillman is one of many new arrivals to the squad, but the player’s ability to shake off a poor performance will serve him well for both club and country.

Christian Pulisic | Attacker | AC Milan

2025-26 minutes: 286
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.9

Italy can’t stop Pulisic

This was an impressive week for Pulisic, even by his lofty standards. After scoring two goals and helping set the table for a third in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Udinese, Pulisic maintained his fine form by scoring the final goal — on the half-volley, no less — in a 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Lecce.

There’s not much more to be said about Pulisic that hasn’t been already. He remains the USMNT’s most important attacking player, and he now holds the mark for most goals by an American in Europe’s top five leagues with 59. As long as he can stay healthy, he’s a lock to be in the U.S. lineup.

Tanner Tessmann’s form for Lyon this season should have him in the conversation to start in the USMNT midfield at next summer’s World Cup. Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

He’ll try to keep the momentum going in this weekend’s momentous clash with top-of-the table Napoli.

The in-form XI

When Pochettino switched to a three-man back line during the September international window, it was a move that didn’t appear to benefit Gladbach’s Joe Scally. The wing back position favors the mobility and attacking instincts demonstrated by the likes of Sergiño Dest and Alex Freeman over the defending of Scally, but then Gladbach interim manager Eugen Polanski trotted out a 3-4-3 with Scally as the right wing back, and the American delivered an impressive performance.

Scally showed an ability to get forward that was unexpected given that he recorded no goals and no assists this past season — his xG of 0.26 is already on its way to eclipsing last year’s 0.38. Granted, who knows what formation the permanent Gladbach coach will prefer once he’s hired, but the performance should help keep Scally in the lineup.

Given his performance last weekend, why isn’t he in this week’s in-form XI? It’s a fair question, especially when you consider Dest conceded a penalty that was converted in PSV Eindhoven’s 2-2 draw with Ajax. Combined with some defensively shaky moments during the September international window, it’s worth weighing whether Dest is enough of a defensive liability that he loses his spot in the starting lineup. That said, Dest’s value in attack is still high enough given his ability to deliver the unexpected, though Scally has given Pochettino something to think about in terms of who his starting wing backs should be.

Meanwhile, the relative stock of the U.S. corps of forwards continues to go through some wild swings in form. Folarin Balogun looked to have gained some separation from the chasing pack after a great performance against Japan, but that was before his tepid effort in a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Club Brugge landed him on the bench for last week’s league encounter against Metz. Even worse for Balogun, his replacement, Mika Biereth, scored the opener in a 5-2 win, while Ansu Fati scored two off the bench and George Ilenikhena also got on the score sheet.

The silver lining for Balogun is that no other U.S. center forwards scored last weekend, although Ricardo Pepi’s selfless run to the near post allowed Ismael Saibari to score PSV’s first, so he’ll remain the starter in this week’s lineup. Also, Balogun’s skill set is unique within the USMNT player pool, given his ability to make runs in behind the opposition defense, and this should mean his spot in the U.S. squad is still secure. He’ll need to work his way back into the Monaco lineup, though, and this week’s match at Lorient will reveal the extent to which his spot in the club hierarchy has fallen.

Big Board 2.0 update

ESPN’s USMNT Big Board 2.0 went live earlier this month, and each Big Board will provide the foundation for weekly player updates. Below are the minutes and player ratings for each of those 37 players.

Matt Turner, goalkeeper, New England Revolution: 630 minutes in 2025; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025.

Matt Freese goalkeeper, New York City FC: 2,790 minutes in 2025; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025.

Zack Steffen, goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids: 2,160 minutes in 2025; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025.

Patrick Schulte, goalkeeper, Columbus Crew: 2,430 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.

Chris Richards, center back, Crystal Palace: 659 minutes in 2025-26; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Richards continues to deliver for Palace, completing 86.7% of his passes and winning 87.5% of his duels in a 2-1 win over West Ham United.

Tim Ream, center back, Charlotte FC: 2,147 minutes in 2025; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025.

Mark McKenzie, center back, Toulouse: 450 minutes in 2025-26; 6.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, center back, Celtic: 750 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

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Miles Robinson, center back, FC Cincinnati: 2,438 minutes in 2025; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025.

Auston Trusty, center back, Celtic: 152 minutes in 2025-26; 6.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tristan Blackmon, center back, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,962 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.

Sergiño Dest, fullback, PSV Eindhoven: 691 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Antonee Robinson, fullback, Fulham: 141 minutes in 2025-26; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Robinson’s recovery from offseason knee surgery took way longer than expected, but he finally played a full 90 minutes for the Cottagers in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over fourth-tier side Cambridge United. Now let’s see if he can reclaim his spot in league play.

Joe Scally, fullback, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 355 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Caleb Wiley, fullback, Watford: 18 minutes in 2025-26; 6.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Max Arfsten, fullback, Columbus Crew: 2,682 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Alex Freeman, fullback, Orlando City SC: 2,802 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tyler Adams, midfielder, AFC Bournemouth: 464 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tyler Adams has been ever present in Bournemouth’s midfield this season, remaining healthy and playing at a high level for the fourth-place Cherries. Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

Weston McKennie, midfielder, Juventus: 141 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Atlético Madrid: 185 minutes in 2025-26; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Cardoso has been dealing with an ankle injury, hence his omission from the game-day roster in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Mallorca.

Luca de la Torre, midfielder, San Diego FC: 2,299 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tanner Tessmann, midfielder, Lyon: 450 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Yunus Musah, midfielder, Atalanta: 206 minutes in 2025-26; 6.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Sebastian Berhalter, midfielder, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,906 minutes in 2025; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025.

Cristian Roldan, midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC: 3,425 minutes in 2025; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025.

Christian Pulisic, attacker, AC Milan: 286 minutes in 2025-26; 7.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tim Weah, attacker, Marseille: 397 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

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Weah has been Marseille’s Mr. Fixit, lining up as a right wing back in OM’s 1-0 win over previously unbeaten PSG. Will that help him or hurt him when the next USMNT camp opens? Either way, his versatility remains impressive.

Malik Tillman, attacker, Bayer Leverkusen: 264 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Diego Luna, attacker, Real Salt Lake: 2,255 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.

Alejandro Zendejas, attacker, América: 777 minutes in 2025-26; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Gio Reyna, attacker, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 84 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Folarin Balogun, forward, AS Monaco: 306 minutes in 2025-26; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Ricardo Pepi, forward, PSV Eindhoven: 306 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Josh Sargent, forward, Norwich City: 581 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Patrick Agyemang, forward, Derby County: 66 minutes in 2025-26; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Haji Wright, forward, Coventry City: 542 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Damion Downs, forward, Southampton: 271 minutes in 2025-26; 6.3 FotMob rating in 2025-26.



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WNBA Power Rankings: Aces leapfrog Lynx as regular season wraps up
Esports

WNBA Power Rankings: Aces leapfrog Lynx as regular season wraps up

by admin


  • Michael VoepelSep 9, 2025, 09:30 AM ET

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      Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.

With only three days left in the regular season, we have arrived at the final edition of ESPN’s WNBA Power Rankings for 2025.

The Minnesota Lynx already have wrapped up the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage for as long as they are in the playoffs. They remain the championship favorite, as they have been for most of the season. But with the Power Rankings acting as a weekly barometer of how teams are performing right now, the Las Vegas Aces have jumped into the top spot of this final update — a move that would have seemed absurd to predict on Aug. 2, when Las Vegas lost at home to Minnesota by 53 points and fell to 14-14. But the Aces have gone on a 14-game winning streak since, making them the hottest team in the league heading into the postseason.

The Lynx won the first three matchups of the season against the Aces before Las Vegas beat Minnesota at home last Thursday. The teams also feature the two leading MVP candidates: Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson.

Editor’s Picks

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The Lynx have had less to play for since Aug. 30, when they clinched the league’s best record — though they have stressed that they have not gone into cruise control since they want to enter the playoffs competing at a high standard. The Aces, by contrast, are still trying to secure the No. 2 seed.

Both teams have championship hopes and will join six others when the playoffs tip off Sunday, while the five teams that don’t make it start looking ahead to 2026. But all 13 teams have had bright spots this season, so let’s look at the top highlight for each as we close out our weekly rankings.

Previous ranking: 2

Final three days: vs. CHI (Sept. 9), @ LA (Sept. 11)

The Aces have had one of the most dramatic in-season turnarounds in WNBA history, extending their win streak to 14 with victories over Minnesota and Chicago over the past week. The surge coincides with Jewell Loyd coming off the bench — a move many players of her stature would not have embraced, but she did. Las Vegas’ ability to work through its issues and stick together as a unit stands out.

Previous ranking: 1

Final three days: @ IND (Sept. 9), vs. GS (Sept. 11)

The Lynx, who lost to Las Vegas and defeated Golden State over the past week, are 6-4 in their past 10 games — in part because there has been less to play for as they secured a playoff berth and home-court advantage. Maintaining the same momentum when you know a loss (or even a series of losses) doesn’t come with consequences is harder than it sounds. Still, the Lynx have been the most consistent team all season, which keeps them in the driver’s seat for the championship.

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Napheesa Collier (20 points) Highlights vs. Golden State Valkyries

Napheesa Collier (20 points) Highlights vs. Golden State Valkyries, 09/06/2025

Previous ranking: 3

Final three days: @ CON (Sept. 10)

The Dream are still in the mix for the No. 2 seed with two wins over Los Angeles and another against Connecticut over the past week. A year after backing into the playoffs without enough offense to win a series, they have become a contender. Their ability to embrace new coach Karl Smesko’s system — an effort led by veteran guard Allisha Gray — has been one of the most impressive developments of this WNBA season.

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Previous ranking: 4

Final three days: vs. LA (Sept. 9), @ DAL (Sept. 11)

After opening the last week with wins over Indiana and Washington, Saturday’s loss at Connecticut dropped the Mercury from a second-place tie with Las Vegas and Atlanta. Now it looks likely they will get the No. 4 seed, which would mean a potential semifinal matchup against Minnesota. Still, being in the top four with a completely revamped roster in a new era of Mercury basketball following Diana Taurasi’s retirement and Brittney Griner’s departure is a big win for Phoenix.

Previous ranking: 6

Final three days: @ SEA (Sept. 9), @ MIN (Sept. 11)

The Valkyries beat New York and Dallas last week, with the latter game clinching a playoff spot and setting off a celebration at Ballhalla. They also gave Minnesota a run for its money Saturday before falling 78-72. Despite losing standout Kayla Thornton (knee) for the season after the All-Star Game, the Valkyries have gone 13-7 without her. Many contributors stand out in Golden State’s first season, but two potential award-winners — Natalie Nakase for Coach of the Year and guard Veronica Burton for Most Improved Player — are highlights.

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Veronica Burton nails it from behind the arc

Veronica Burton drills the trey, 09/06/2025

Previous ranking: 5

Final three days: vs. WAS (Sept. 9), @ CHI (Sept. 11)

The Liberty fell at Golden State then bounced back to defeat Seattle over the past week. The defending champions won’t have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, in part because injuries to starters Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu have disrupted their consistency. They have won only four of their past 10 games but still seem likely to secure the No. 5 seed. The best part of their season could end up being the playoffs — if everyone is healthy.

Previous ranking: 7

Final three days: vs. MIN (Sept. 9)

The Fever fell to Phoenix last Tuesday, then announced Thursday that injured guard Caitlin Clark would not return this season. Out since July 15, Clark can now focus on returning healthy in 2026 — and the Fever followed up the news with two victories that secured their second consecutive playoff berth. Their best traits this season have been the resilience of their healthy core four — guards Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull and post players Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard — and how well they have adjusted to multiple replacement players.

Previous ranking: 8

Final three days: vs. GS (Sept. 9)

The Storm lost their one game of the past week to New York, which could have secured a playoff berth. They will now try to nail that down in their last game of the regular season on Tuesday. Struggles at home (9-12) and with closing out games have frustrated the Storm, but they probably saved their season by winning four of five consecutive games on the road between Aug. 19-28, righting themselves from a free fall coming out of the All-Star Game in which they lost nine of 12 games (including six in a row).

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Skylar Diggins drills the trey

Skylar Diggins drills the trey, 09/05/2025

Previous ranking: 9

Final three days: @ PHX (Sept. 9), vs. LV (Sept. 11)

The Sparks lost twice at Atlanta and then beat Dallas on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive. If they don’t make the postseason, they will look back on a very slow 5-13 start as too much to overcome. Cameron Brink — the 2024 No. 2 draft pick who returned July 29 from a knee injury that cut short her rookie season — has had impact defensively, but is not yet up to speed offensively. The best part of the season was when the Sparks’ top four players Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens were clicking.

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Previous ranking: 10

Final three days: vs. ATL (Sept. 10)

The Sun had arguably their best win of the season Saturday, beating playoff-bound Phoenix 87-84 in-between losses at Chicago and Atlanta. Having lost their coach and entire starting five from last season’s playoff team, reaching double-digit wins should be considered a plus. Six of their victories have come since Aug. 13, keeping them ahead of slumping Washington in these rankings despite the Mystics’ higher victory total. With uncertainty around the franchise’s long-term future — will the Sun stay in Connecticut? — the promise of rookies Leila Lacan, Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers is the best part of their present and near future.

Previous ranking: 11

Final three days: @ NY (Sept. 9)

The Mystics are 5-16 since the All-Star break and have lost nine in a row, including to Phoenix and Indiana this past week. Like Connecticut, they are in rebuilding mode with a new coach. Washington’s brightest spot this year is getting two rookies to build around, lottery picks Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, who were All-Stars.

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Kiki Iriafen scores and draws the foul

Kiki Iriafen scores and draws the foul

Previous ranking: 12

Final three days: @ LV (Sept. 9), vs. NY (Sept. 11)

The Sky defeated Connecticut, then lost to Indiana and Las Vegas — but on-court action was overshadowed by second-year player Angel Reese’s published remarks about the team needing to get “great” players. She subsequently apologized to her teammates and received a head-scratching half-game suspension. There seems to be friction between Reese and the Sky front office, which brings into question how that could affect 2026. The best part about this Sky season, frankly, is that it’s almost over. Now the organization must figure out how to move forward.

Previous ranking: 13

Final three days: vs. PHX (Sept. 11)

The Wings fell to Golden State and Los Angeles last week. Unless they beat Phoenix in the regular-season finale, they will end on an 11-game losing streak and have their second consecutive nine-win season. Like Chicago coach Tyler Marsh, Dallas’ Chris Koclanes waits to see if his tenure lasts longer than one season. There are two bright spots from the Wings’ season, though: Paige Bueckers is expected to be Rookie of the Year — and they might get another No. 1 pick in 2026.



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