Jesse Marsch has total belief and commitment from his Canadian men’s national team heading into the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, the last competitive games for his squad before next year’s FIFA World Cup in North America.
For some, like Celtic right back Alistair Johnston, it’s meant committing to the Gold Cup the day after wrapping up his honeymoon, while others like Inter Milan contracted-forward Tajon Buchanan have chosen to go to the tournament, instead of looking for an opportunity at the FIFA Club World Cup.
It leaves the No. 30-ranked Canada with a first-choice roster and a strong chance of winning the nation’s first trophy since the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup, where they became the only team other than the United States or Mexico to lift the trophy.
The commitment and desire from the Canadian group have come in stark contrast to the U.S. men’s national team, where Christian Pulisic suggested playing the summer friendlies but sitting out the Gold Cup, much to head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s dismay.
For Marsch, though? He doesn’t care, despite a past that had him favored to take over the U.S. head coaching role at several points.
“First, there’s some dialogue like I’m addressing the U.S. team. That’s not true at all. I want to make it clear – I don’t care about the U.S. team, and I never want to coach the U.S. national team. I’m making that clear right now,” Marsch said. “I was just talking about our team."
“[The Canadian] team believes in what's being created, because they're being rewarded for it, and they're totally engaged by the whole experience.”
Led by Jonathan David and Derek Cornelius, Canada enters the Gold Cup on a high, having recently lifted the Canadian Shield Invitational Tournament trophy after beating No. 25-ranked Ukraine 4–2 and playing to a scoreless draw with the reigning AFCON champion Ivory Coast in Toronto.
Now, they shift to Vancouver to open their Gold Cup group stage on Tuesday against Honduras, before moving to Houston to finish group play against Curaçao and El Salvador.
“Everybody knows how important this summer is and what it means for [the 2026 World Cup]. I’ve explained my feelings about this tournament to the team over the last months, but I didn’t really have to,” Marsch added. “They all said, ‘We’re coming, we want to win it.’ That’s a big statement, but that’s how they feel. I’m glad I coach a team that feels that way.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Never’—Canada's Jesse Marsch Sends USMNT Emphatic Message Ahead of Gold Cup.
