Canada head coach Jesse Marsch took direct purpose at Donald Trump and the present state of discourse within the US in feedback to media on Wednesday.
“If I’ve one message to our president, it’s lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,” mentioned Marsch, who grew up in Wisconsin and loved a 13-year profession in Main League Soccer earlier than transferring into teaching. “As an American, I’m ashamed of the conceitedness and disrespect that we’ve proven one in all our traditionally oldest, strongest and most loyal allies.”
Marsch was addressing the media in Los Angeles, the place he appeared with different representatives of the 4 nations collaborating within the Concacaf Nations League finals, set to be hosted at SoFi Stadium on the finish of subsequent month. Canada will play Mexico in a single semi-final on 20 March with the US and Panama taking part in one another on the identical day, elevating the likelihood that the 2 nations will play one another in both the Nations League ultimate or third place recreation on 23 March.
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Trump has repeatedly antagonized Canada in feedback and thru official coverage proposals like tariffs throughout his second time period. On a number of events he has mentioned that Canada might turn out to be “the 51st state” of america and has proposed tariffs that consultants predict would kick off a commerce warfare between the international locations.
Trump’s feedback have already resonated within the sports activities world. The US nationwide anthem was booed repeatedly at NHL and NBA video games in Canada, whereas the international locations’ assembly on the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off grew to become an overtly political spectacle. Within the ultimate of that event, the Canadian nationwide anthem singer modified the tune’s lyrics , earlier than Canada set off wild celebrations .
Marsch, the previous Leeds United, RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg and New York Purple Bulls head coach, mentioned on Wednesday that worldwide tournaments just like the Nations League “imply one thing totally different now” given the present political local weather, and mentioned he finds the 51st state discourse to be “unsettling and albeit insulting.”
“Canada is a powerful, unbiased nation that’s deeply rooted in decency, and it’s a spot that values excessive ethics and respect, not like the polarized, disrespectful and sometimes now, hate-fueled local weather that’s within the US,” Marsch mentioned. “It’s one of many issues that I’ve loved essentially the most about our crew, is that they exemplify this as human beings and as a crew … So for me proper now I couldn’t be prouder to be the Canadian nationwide crew coach. I discovered a spot that embodies, for me, the beliefs and morals of what not simply soccer and a crew is, however what life is, and that’s integrity, respect and the idea that good folks can do nice issues collectively.”
Canada, who appeared of their first males’s World Cup in 36 years in 2022, employed Marsch in 2024 and have continued to thrive. The crew progressed to the third place recreation on the 2024 Copa América, and in a September pleasant later that yr. A win towards Mexico on the Nations League finals would stretch the crew’s unbeaten run to 6 video games for the reason that Copa América.
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“One factor’s for positive, after I stay up for a month from now … I do know this may gas our crew, the mentality we now have, the desire we now have to play for our nation, the will we now have to go after this event in each means and present on and off the pitch precisely what Canadian character is,” Marsch mentioned.
US males’s nationwide crew head coach Mauricio Pochettino was not current on the occasion, changed as an alternative by former USMNT defender and present US Soccer President of Sporting Oguchi Onyewu. Requested to reply to Marsch’s feedback, Onyewu mentioned: “We’re all right here to advertise the Concacaf Nations League, and all of my feedback are to advertise the Concacaf Nations League, SoFi Stadium, and the sturdy competitors that we now have on this panel proper now.”