LOS ANGELES — On the eve of the Nations League finals’ third-place match between Canada and the United States, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch said his team has felt “disrespect for a long time” when playing in games with Concacaf officiating.
Early in Canada’s 2-0 semifinal loss to Mexico, Canada defender Derek Cornelius looked to be fouled by Mexico midfielder Edson Álvarez in the Mexican box. Replays showed that Álvarez kicked Cornelius, but no penalty call was awarded and Mexico was awarded a free kick. Marsch and his Canadian players wondered aloud after the loss why, with VAR available, more time was not taken to review the possible penalty.
Saturday, Marsch strengthened the underdog mentality this Canadian team had long before his arrival in May 2024.
“My frustration (regarding the possible penalty) paled in comparison to their anger,” Marsch said of his players. “And the reason why is because I think they felt that disrespect for a long time.”
Canada was already down 1-0 after giving up a goal in the first minute. A possible penalty could have shifted the outlook of the result. Canada forward Jonathan David later told The Guardian that he was preparing mentally to take a penalty as soon as Cornelius was fouled.
Jonathan David was mentally preparing to take a penalty against Mexico, but Canada were controversially denied. (Michael Owens / Getty Images)
“Look, man, there’s no debate,” Marsch said of the possible penalty. “The fact that it’s not even reviewed is inexcusable.”
Marsch’s players crowded referee Hector Martínez and implored him to check for a possible penalty. Instead, Canada was forced to play on when VAR appeared not to be consulted.
“I know some other staffs, if they were in that situation at halftime, they would attack the referees and put real pressure on them. We tried to be a reflection of what our community and country deserves,” Marsch said.
Ahead of the match, Cornelius said “expect the unexpected,” when asked for his advice for new Canada players regarding Concacaf officiating.
As the Canadians rose under Marsch with a successful string of results, highlighted by a remarkable run to the 2024 Copa América semifinals, it felt like they were ditching the underdog tag for good. Yet in the U.S. for Sunday’s third-place game, Marsch appears to be relishing how his team has been backed into a corner.
“It beckons the question: How do we gain more respect and earn more respect in these kinds of situations?” Marsch said.
Sure enough, pre-match, Marsch faced multiple questions not about his Canada team but the prospects of the U.S. team.
“Not my job,” Marsch said, grinning, when asked why the American team has not progressed further over the past few years. “I am not underestimating their talent.”
Marsch’s beliefs, and those of his team, it would appear, could heighten the tension between Canada and the U.S. on Sunday.
It was Marsch who said in February that international tournaments “mean something different now” after he took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state.
Marsch added Saturday that he believes the political climate has “calmed down.”
“There’s still the rhetoric out there about the 51st state,” Marsch said. “But I think people are becoming more numb to it now than they were a month (ago) during the 4 Nations (hockey) tournament. However, we are still very aware that there is a different climate (from) even the last time that we played the U.S. in September. We will make sure that we know what that is.”
An ensuing trade war between Canada and the U.S. has made his players further aware of the implications surrounding the third-place match.
Alistair Johnston and Canada now face a third-place showdown against the United States. (Michael Owens / Getty Images)
Canada defender Alistair Johnston told The Athletic that the Nations League finals represented a chance for Canada to play “arguably our biggest political opponent in the world right now.”
Moving forward into Sunday’s game and beyond, how Marsch and his leaders position their team publicly will be fascinating to watch.
Saturday suggested his team has been aggrieved, and that mentality could fuel them in the future. It’s an attitude reminiscent of John Herdman’s approach throughout his tenure as Canada’s head coach from 2018 to 2023.
Sunday’s game against Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. might be Canada’s next game playing with Concacaf officials, but with the Gold Cup approaching this summer, it won’t be the last.
The questions about officiating and perceived disrespect against Mexico and what occurs in a game with political overtones against the U.S. simply serve as part of Marsch’s player’s learning process before the 2026 World Cup.
“I took the job knowing that this was not just a project of building a team; it was a project of building an association, a federation, and also continuing to build the sport in the country,” Marsch said. “And I’m passionate about it, and nothing that’s happening in the political world with results with anything that’s happening in our environment is going to change our determination to put something in place that can be long lasting and can be very meaningful for the country.”
(Top photo: Omar Vega / Getty Images)
