Jesse Marsch, Canada staying level-headed going into Gold Cup

VANCOUVER — Jesse Marsch doesn’t wish to pay attention any daring proclamations about Canada being the most productive males’s group in North America or the odds-on favorite to win this summer season’s Concacaf Gold Cup. 

Yes, his aspect is contemporary off successful the inaugural Canadian Shield match previous this month. Yes, there’s a sizeable hole within the FIFA global scores between Canada and Honduras, its opening Gold Cup opponent in Tuesday’s tilt at BC Place — the Canadians are ranked 30th, 45 spots above the Hondurans. 

And sure, Canada boasts gamers of the calibre of Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, Alistair Johnston and a slew of others who play with most sensible European golf equipment, whilst the vast majority of gamers on Honduras’ squad ply their business within the nation’s modest professional league. 

None of that pursuits Marsch. 

The American trainer freely admits he needs to guide Canada to its first Gold Cup crown in 25 years and proceed the fantastic momentum the group has constructed up since he took over the reins ultimate May. But on the similar time, he’s taking not anything without any consideration on the Concacaf match, virtually downplaying the hype about this being the most productive Canadian males’s group of all time. 

“Look, there’s been talk [from] some people saying that we have the best team, or we are favourites. None of that really matters right now. What matters right now is our focus on this match against Honduras,” Marsch stated on Monday. 

“If we were to look back at all of our matches since we’ve been together, I think why we’ve had some successes are because our concentration and focus and detail to what each opponent required, what each tournament required, moment required … We can talk about grander visions, but right now, we’re solely focused on this match against Honduras and making sure that we know what they’re going to challenge us with.” 

It was once a sentiment echoed by way of David, the group’s all-time main scorer with 34 targets. 

“I don’t think we come in as favourites. I think to be favourites in a tournament, you have to be the one that [won it] the most times. Of course, I know we have a strong team, and we can challenge to win it. But to be favourites, I wouldn’t say it personally,” stated David, who has seven targets and two assists in his ultimate 9 appearances for Canada. 

Honduras is a group that Canada can’t have the funds for to take flippantly. 

Los Catrachos do not ranking many targets, however in addition they do not concede many and are content material to let the opposite group have the ball, difficult their warring parties to damage them down. The attacking trio of Anthony Lozano, Luis Palma and Romell Quioto reason defences issues in moments of transition.  

“It’s a team that is very aggressive, and I expect them to defend really hard, to be compact, to not let the game get too open. We’ve used [their recent] two games against Mexico as a bit of a reference point. And what you saw, is in November, that they didn’t give Mexico a lot of space. They made it difficult on them. They were very physical, especially along their back line, and that they were very dangerous on the counter,” Marsch defined. 

Canada shot out of the gate in a while after Marsch’s appointment, achieving the semifinals and completing fourth ultimately summer season’s Copa América. The Canadians went toe-to-toe with World Cup champions Argentina, and fellow South American heavyweights Chile and Uruguay of their match debut, saying themselves to the remainder of the football global. 

As a end result, the bar has been set upper than ever ahead of for Canada, which desperately needs to be a aggressive power on house soil when it co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Gold Cup items Marsch’s males to end up that the hype surrounding them is authentic. 

“I think that over the last few years, the expectations for this team have grown. And by the way, when I say that, I don’t even mean externally. I mean internally, that we feel strongly that we have a good team, that we have good balance in our team, and we have depth in our team,” Marsch stated. 

“A tournament like this is going to test all of those things, and we want to believe that those things are true based on, specifically for me, what the last year has been like. But each match we have is a chance to prove it.” 

The 16-team box on the Gold Cup is split into 4 round-robin teams, with the highest two advancing to the knockout around. After Tuesday’s fit, Canada faces No. 90 Curaçao (June 21) and No. 81 El Salvador (June 24) in Houston. 

There also are some absences for Canada on the Gold Cup, maximum significantly captain Alphonso Davies, who is anticipated to be sidelined till November with a knee harm. Also dominated out thru harm are defenders Moïse Bombito and Sam Adekugbe, and ahead Liam Millar. Influential midfielder Stephen Eustáquio will best be to be had for Canada when/if FC Porto (his professional membership) is knocked out of the FIFA Club World Cup. 

The absences permit Marsch to increase his choices forward of subsequent 12 months’s World Cup by way of giving younger gamers at the fringes of the beginning 11 some treasured enjoying time on the Gold Cup. 

“We’ve talked a lot internally about developing the overall breadth of the squad. At this tournament, we’re missing some of our back line. … So, we have a chance to bring in a few new players, to challenge a few young players to take on bigger roles, and I think that it’s an exciting proposition for us,” Marsch mentioned. 

“Guys like [defender] Luc de Fougerolles, guys like [winger] Jaden Nelson, who’re more youthful and nonetheless setting up themselves with the nationwide group, I feel we are fascinated about the potential for what the ones guys can deliver. That shall be important for us to make a deep run on this match; that we get just right performances from one of the most gamers that perhaps shouldn’t have as many caps. But it is going to be a useful enjoy, indisputably.  

“And I think them integrating themselves into the team, them understanding what their roles are, getting a feel for what it’s like to play on this team, to play with guys like Jonathan [David], all those things will only help them become better players and really prepare us more for what next summer bring.” 

Marsch is suspended for Canada’s first two Gold Cup suits. He was once red-carded in a recreation vs. the U.S. on March 23 within the Concacaf Nations League for protesting with the referee. On most sensible of the automated one-game suspension, Marsch was once slapped with an extra fit by way of the Concacaf Disciplinary Committee in April. Assistant trainer Mauro Biello will take rate of the group from the touchline for Canada’s first two suits of the Gold Cup workforce degree.