An often underappreciated element in media is just getting figures to make significant on-the-record comments. Those comments can then be evaluated in comparison to what they say later, especially when there’s an apparent contradiction. And that’s what happened with Canadian men’s national team coach Jesse Marsch, based on what he said going into the CONCACAF Gold Cup and what he said after his team’s stunning loss to Guatemala in the quarterfinals Sunday:
Many people noted that seeming discrepancy between Marsch’s pre-tournament comments and his post-exit comments on social media Sunday night. Here are a few of those comments:
The Marsch comments here come with some context on several levels. For one, the coach’s initial remarks came amidst media discussion of the many USMNT players who have opted out of this Gold Cup, including Christian Pulisic. Many saw Marsch’s comments there as a direct shot at the U.S. team, especially with him being an American and being passed over for the USMNT job in favor of Gregg Berhalter in 2023, but Marsch’s full quotes here did only say “certain teams.”
Also, while Marsch’s first quote was about getting the players he wanted to sign up for the tournament, his post-exit quote at least partly relates to the players Canada lost to injury during it. Those include Jonathan Osorio and Ali Ahmed. Still, “missing half our group” is quite a thing to say after bragging about participation relative to other countries, and at least some of the mockery for Marsch’s apparent about-face is deserved. (And, for “not an excuse,” that sure sounds like an excuse.)
It’s also notable that this all came during a tournament where Marsch missed two matches due to suspension over a previous red card against the USMNT in the Nations League in March. He then came under further investigation after one of those matches over allegations he “used offensive language toward CONCACAF match officials” over a controversy over where he was allowed to watch the match from. And while he was eventually cleared by the confederation on that latter front, that whole saga speaks to his current firebrand persona.
By the way, there’s somewhat of a credit and timeline controversy here on the “Not one guy” quote. Goal.com’s Tom Hindle said he “did the exclusive interview this quote came from” Sunday in relation to that Canadian Soccer Daily post screenshot above. But Hindle’s linked piece, from June 6, has similar, but not identical, comments from Marsch, specifically “There’s been a certain dialogue with certain teams in the region about the Gold Cup and whether players want to come or not. I haven’t had one discussion that’s been like, ‘Yeah, I’m not sure if I’m going to make it.'”
The “Not one guy called me” phrasing of that looks to be an actual quote from Marsch, but at a different time. It was noted as “Marsch told media including Canadian Soccer Daily this week” in a June 12 post on that site. Here’s the full quote there: “This is the internal pressure we put on each other, there’s no time off. Not one guy called me and said, ‘Coach, I don’t know, it’s been a long year, maybe I don’t come to the Gold Cup.’ Not one guy. Not even close to that conversation.” Thus, Hindle can probably take credit for originating that line of conversation from Marsch with his exclusive interview, but it appears the particular comments from Marsch that got memed Sunday came later.
The real media takeaway here may be the power of asking the right question to get a coach on the record saying something possibly controversial, though. There had been a little bit of discussion about Marsch and the U.S. well before this tournament. That was especially seen after his “I’d rather coach Canada” comments last year, after that Nations League red card in March, and after some of his criticisms of U.S. president Donald Trump around tariffs on Canada this February. But the specific comments here in relation to countries’ player pools, even if veiled with “certain teams,” seemed like one of Marsch’s most notable shots at the USMNT yet.
Those comments came from what looks like a smart way to draw Marsch out. We don’t know exactly what Hindle asked Marsch in the first place, or what the media present for his later “Not one guy” line asked, but Hindle introduced Marsch’s key “certain dialogue” quote above by saying Pulisic’s decision was “something [Marsch] referenced when reflecting on the commitment of his own side.” In any case, it got Marsch to make an aggressive remark that stood out at the time, and one that doesn’t look great in reference to his “missing half our group” comments after this exit.
Of course, the USMNT only progressed in this round of this tournament themselves in a narrow penalty shootout, while the CANMNT only lost in one. That doesn’t necessarily suggest a dramatic divide in quality between the sides. But still, there is an apparent divide between Marsch’s pre-tournament and post-tournament remarks, even with allowances for him factoring in some of those injuries. And the reporters who got him to make those bold pre-tournament remarks deserve some praise for that.