ไทย
English
中國人
Jesse Marsch says he is "honored and really proud" to serve as head coach of Canada's men's national team. As an American living abroad, he believes he brings a "unique perspective" to issues, including Donald Trump's executive order from August proposing to rename Lake Ontario.
"Here we are now, the big talk in America is Lake Ontario, Lake America, this kind of c---," Marsch said this week, as Canada gears up to face the USMNT in Minnesota.
The day before, Marsch stated: "We, as Americans, have been flooded with propaganda from a young age. We're the No. 1 country in the world, we deserve everything, we dominate everything, No. 1 in every aspect of life.
Because of this, he said, Americans "feel like we deserve to be treated differently because we're Americans" when situations don't go their way and "we don't feel like we're in control of it." Marsch pointed to the Folarin Balogun red card as an example, adding more broadly, "That is one of the things that infuriates the rest of the world about Americans. And Americans don't know that if they don't ever leave the country."
Canada, Marsch noted, is "a little bit more European than the U.S. anyway," both politically and economically. He expressed support for the idea of Canada—set to make its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027—becoming an associate member of the European Union: "I like that aspect."
"There's something unique about Canada in terms of how truly multiethnic this country has become. You can see that Canada is not just a North American country any more, you know? That bodes well for our sport and for the makeup of our team, the makeup of our fans."
Why Marsch Feels Able to Speak Out
The following day, Marsch told reporters at a press conference that he remains "not afraid to say things that sometimes need to be said or that I feel should be said ... whether people agree or not.
"I understand that it's not always the role of someone in sports to thrust themselves into political discussions and everything else, but I've had a unique perspective."
Marsch, who spent his entire playing career in America before going on to coach in Austria, Germany, and England, insisted there is "definitely no grudge" held against the USMNT.
"People want to interpret it that way, which is fine," he said. "I don't mind. People can, I think you know me well enough to know that I don't really care what people think too much."
USMNT-Canada Rivalry 'Better Than It's Ever Been'
There is, however, a rivalry and it's a "big" one.
"[The players] don't need reminders when we play the U.S.," Marsch said. "But, to be fair, it's different with Mexico, but because we have respect for the U.S., because we have respect for Mexico, we want to keep proving that we are on their level or above them. And the best way to do that is to perform and win."
"If you look at recent tournaments, we did better [than the USMNT] at Copa América. We were on par with Mexico and the U.S. at the World Cup. I think institutionally, Concacaf still views this as a region defined by Mexico or the U.S. … where we need to keep establishing ourselves.
"If we want to step into those moments and earn that respect, you need to beat them sometimes. I think of course a lot of people in the U.S. talk about Mexico being their biggest rival, but we know we feel like we're part of that conversation too in terms of our quality and what we've accomplished not only in the past, but what we can do going forward as well.
"You've seen some of these games get heated and turn into a battle because they don't want to lose either. I think when you're at the top, you don't want anyone below you to take that power.
"I think the rivalry is better than it's ever been, largely because both teams are good."
Canada is on the verge of matching its longest-ever winning streak against the USMNT. The Canadians have claimed victory in their last two encounters, a stark contrast to 17 consecutive matches without a win between 1985 and 2019, but they haven't won three straight against their southern neighbors since 1968.