Jesse Marsch Happy to Coach Canada, Takes Satisfaction in Latest Win Against US

Jesse Marsch, Canada men’s soccer head coach, speaks during a press conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 19, 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Jesse Marsch led the Canadian men’s national soccer team to a historic victory against the United States over the weekend.

The coach was once a candidate to coach the Americans, but he was passed over for Gregg Berhalter, who has since been fired.

Marsch is confident he landed in the best spot with Canada, which earned its first victory in the United States in 67 years with a 2–1 win on Saturday.

“I'd much rather coach Canada than the U.S. right now,” Marsch told the press after the game. “You can see the mentality that’s been developed. You can see the way this team plays. You can see how much they love playing for the national team, and they’re willing to put their careers and lives and the way they play on the line to be the best they can be for each other and for the team. I wouldn’t change coaching this team right now for anything in the world.”

The Canadians have a talented roster led by Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Jonathan David (Lille), and Stephen Eustáquio (FC Porto).

In the match against the United States, Canada dictated the run of play throughout much of the first half. Jacob Shaffelburg (Nashville SC) gave the Canadians a 1–0 lead in the 17th minute when he knocked in an errant pass by American defender Tim Ream (Charlotte FC). The Canadians scored again in the 58th minute when David collected a loose ball and scored from six yards.

The United States finally got on the board in the 66th minute when Luca de la Torre (Celta De Vigo) scored his first international goal off a pass from Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough). The Canadians outshot the Americans. 17–8, including 11–1 in the first half.

However, that was as close as the Americans would come against the Canadians, who had not earned a victory in the United States since a 3–2 win in St. Louis for a World Cup qualifier on July 6, 1957.

While the Canadians are on the upswing, the U.S. team is currently in some disarray.

After firing Berhalter, the U.S. Soccer Federation has hired Mauricio Pochettino, a former manager with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, as the new coach, according to various media reports. However, the federation and Pochettino are still trying to finalize a deal, which has been complicated by the finances owed to him by his former club, Chelsea.

Mikey Varas took over as the interim coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team, and he was not happy with the result or the performance of his players against Canada. He questioned the commitment and intensity level of some of the players after the match and said there needs to be a culture change within the team.

“The mentality is on the players. They know it,” he told reporters after the game. “We speak the truth to each other. I love those guys. But they know that mentality to fight, to run and to sacrifice, I can’t do that for them. That’s on them. ... I felt that the trainings were intense. They were aggressive.

“But when the game comes, you gotta get going. And the players are the ones that bring that. Coaches can only get you so far from a mentality perspective,” he added.