Club play returned in France after a lengthy international break, but only two of the Americans started for their clubs. All five who were eligible did find the pitch in some manner, so hopefully the rest will serve them well.
Bryan Reynolds, Rennes
Reynolds made his first Ligue 1 start for Rennes this season and turned in a Man of the Match performance, assisting two goals in Rennes' 4-1 demolition of Auxerre. He assisted what ended up being the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute to break a 1-1 deadlock off a corner. His second assist was for Rennes' final goal deep in stoppage time, this one coming from open play.
After being left off the USMNT roster, Reynolds responded in a way that could force Mauricio Pochettino to keep tabs on the defender. In addition to his pair of assists, Reynolds made four defensive contributions, proving he is able to impact the game on both ends. While Alex Freeman has locked down the starting role, Reynolds made a huge stride towards putting his name next in line.
Une histoire de connexions 👂
— Stade Rennais F.C. (@staderennais) October 12, 2026
Buteur contre Marseille, Adrien Thomasson enchaîne, parfaitement servi par Bryan Reynolds 🪖#SRFCAJA 4-1 pic.twitter.com/6S6xpHTUEp
A performance like this makes it clear Reynolds should be starting weekly for Rennes. In his only other start this campaign, against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, he played well and helped keep a clean sheet. He is a blossoming talent who is showing his capabilities and should be rewarded with more minutes.
Folarin Balogun, AS Monaco, vs Mark McKenzie, Toulouse
McKenzie was the other American to start, and the veteran helped Toulouse earn a big point against frontrunners Monaco. The match ended 2-2, and McKenzie's impact was felt on both ends. He won the penalty that opened the scoring for Toulouse and made five defensive contributions.
Balogun played 32 minutes off the bench as he continues his return to fitness. He had 14 touches, had one shot blocked and was dispossessed twice. Since he's not on Monaco's UEFA Conference League roster, Ligue 1 matches are Balogun's only opportunity to see meaningful minutes soon.
Gio Reyna, Strasbourg
After starting all four matches for Pochettino during the international break, Reyna got a much-needed reset and began Strasbourg's match on the bench. He entered in the 63rd minute and nearly had an assist three minutes later, but the shot was just off target. Reyna created two total chances in his 27 minutes and looks to be riding high off a strong USMNT showing.
Tanner Tessmann, Lyon
Tessmann played just 13 minutes as Lyon fell 2-1 to Lens, creating one chance and completing 20/21 passes. He played all of Lyon's previous Europa League match, so their upcoming fixture in that competition might be Tessmann's next opportunity to make an impact.
Tim Weah, Olympique Marseille
Weah was suspended for the match due to his red card against PSG, and Marseille picked up its first win in over a month, defeating Troyes 2-0. I would be surprised if Weah is not reinserted into the lineup when he returns, but it could be interesting if Marseille makes a change in their captaincy.
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