With the firing of USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter following a poor Copa América performance, there has been much speculation about who will be next in the role. But on Friday, Canada men’s national team coach Jesse Marsch said he certainly won’t be the one to take over the team.
“I’m not leaving this job, I’m not interested in the job in the U.S.,” Marsch said during a press conference before Canada’s third-place match against Uruguay. “And to be fair, unless there’s a big change in the organization, I don’t think I’ll be interested in this job in the future.”
“I will not leave this job. I have no interest in working in the US. Unless there is a major change in the organization [US Soccer] I don’t think I’ll ever be interested.”
Emphatic from Jesse Marsch. Music to Canadian ears, painful for USMNT fans. pic.twitter.com/fb2abFRtDG
– Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 13, 2024
Marsch, who is from Racine, Wisconsin, reiterated at a news conference that he is happy coaching Canada, which named him head coach in May.
But his words also indicate an aversion to U.S. soccer that likely stems from the last time the federation sought to hire a head coach. After it appeared unlikely that Berhalter would retain his role beyond the 2022 World Cup – especially following the complex scandal involving the Reynas – Marsch emerged as one of the leading candidates for the role. However, after a long coaching search, US Soccer did an about-face and went back to Berhalter.
Grudge or not, Marsch has done well for Canada so far, taking the team to the last 16 of the Copa América and beating Venezuela on penalties before losing 2-0 to Argentina in the semi-final. Marsch’s team has made it further in the inter-federation tournament than any CONCACAF team – further, certainly, than the USMNT, who were knocked out of the Copa América in the group stage.
The USA, meanwhile, will continue to look elsewhere for a new coach, but with some of its top options for Berhalter’s replacement already narrowing. Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who has quickly emerged as a fan favorite prospect, has already turned down the opportunity to speak to US Soccer, reiterating that he wants to take a break from football.
Canada and Uruguay play on Saturday night for third place, while Argentina and Colombia face each other in the final on Sunday.
Canada and the USA have a friendly scheduled for September 7th, with the possibility of the North American rivalry having a little more fire this time.
