Even Venezia wasn't sure what they were getting when they signed Tanner Tessmann from FC Dallas in 2021. The club's then general manager, Alexander Menta, described the midfielder as "my big bet" during an interview with Grant Wahl. He liked Tessman's size, athleticism and work ethic, but those traits alone don't make him a top football player. "Was it like a normal purchase, where the light was green across the board? No,' Menta said. "And I told him the same thing."
Tessmann had made his debut for the US men's senior team a few months earlier, but would not represent ...
