USA legend tears into ex-Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch with 'stay in your line' dig amid national anthem row
The former Leeds United head coach has come in for criticism following a recent admission.
Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has been slammed for recent claims he had to ‘beg’ USA players to sing their national anthem.
Outspoken ex-Whites manager Marsch made the surprising claim ahead of leading Canada out for their first 2026 World Cup game against Bosnia & Herzegovina. The Toronto Stadium meeting ended 1-1 on Friday night but comments from the American coach beforehand caused a stir.
"In the US, sometimes we had to beg players to sing the national anthem,” he said. “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."
Before moving into club-level management, Marsch was part of the USA coaching staff during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Their squad included the country’s all-time top-scorer Clint Dempsey, who was also a regular Premier League star at Fulham, and he furiously hit back at the national anthem dig.
"He really said that? Man, I can't take this guy too seriously,” Dempsey said. “It was an honour for me growing up and represent my country. When the national anthem happened, I wasn't someone who normally would sing. I put my hand over my heart, and I'd pray to the good man upstairs.
"I'm someone who's bled for this country. I broke my nose playing for this country. I've come back from two heart procedures and played for this country. I'm not going to take advice from someone who switched to the other side and singing another country's national anthem. And as my boy Titi [Thierry Henry] would say, stay in your own lane.”
Marsch’s relationship with the US national team has been a little tense in recent years, with the former Leeds boss overlooked for the head coach role following Gregg Berhalter’s 2022 exit. He’s spoken multiple times about the situation and been typically forthright with his views.
Canada took a point from the opening World Cup fixture while his home nation the USA enjoyed a resounding 4-1 victory over Paraguay. Leeds midfielder Brenden Aaronson watched from the bench as former Elland Road teammate Weston McKennie starred in an energetic performance in Los Angeles.