Ex-Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch aims national anthem dig at USA as Canada pride outlined
The former Leeds United manager's World Cup campaign with Canada kicks off overnight.
Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has revealed he sometimes had to ‘beg’ USA players to sing their national anthem amid bursting pride within the Canada squad.
Marsch is set to take charge of his first ever World Cup clash overnight, with Canada hosting Bosnia & Herzegovina at the 45,000-capacity Toronto Stadium. The former Leeds boss was part of the US Men’s National Team coaching staff during the 2010 World Cup before moving into club football.
In 2024, he became the first American to manage Canada and has the co-host nation in great form. A squad boasting the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David has lost just one of their last 17 games and Marsch has regularly spoken positively about the multiculturalism within his group.
He did so again ahead of tonight’s meeting with Bosnia, highlighting the passion players of Liberian, French, Jamaican and Portuguese heritage all feel for Canada. He said: "Every one of these boys is incredibly Canadian. And the pride that they have in putting on the jersey, representing the country, hearing the national anthem...
"In the U.S., sometimes we had to beg players to sing the national anthem. These guys [the Canadian players] sing the national anthem, belt it out to the top of their lungs, because they want to show the country how proud they are to be here, to be Canadians and to represent what Canada is."
Jesse Marsch on Canada World Cup expectation
Just like Mexico at the Azteca on Thursday evening, Canada’s Toronto Stadium tonight will be electric. The tournament's smallest venue will not be short on atmosphere and with this Canada squad seen as the nation’s strongest ever, expectations will also be high.
Canada are expected to progress from a group also containing Bosnia, Switzerland and Qatar - particularly given eight of the 12 third-placed teams go through. And Marsch doesn’t want his players to shy away from that reality.
“We all know a home World Cup is special,” he added. “If you do this for a living, this is where you want to be. I came to Canada to lead them in a home World Cup; I wanted this responsibility. Nobody here is afraid of that.
“Actually, this is why we’re doing it. Yeah, it’s responsibility, yeah, it’s pressure, but that’s what we want, it’s meaningful. I love sitting on that coach’s box when the stadium’s full, the pressure is on and everyone thinks you’re an idiot.”