OverDrive - Marsch on Canada's strong Nations League, the win against the United States and the red card experience

Episode Date: March 24, 2025

Canada Men's National Team Head Coach Jesse Marsch joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around Canada Soccer, the third place finish with the victory against the United States, the impressive progression of the team, receiving a red card in the game, Jonathan David's goal and his role on the team and more.

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American soil something that has happened twice now which that never happens. Right. Never happened. They popped in the vid haze of the Canada hockey start with USA and said this is how we start plays or something like it. I wonder if there was any anything like that from the head coach in here is the head coach of the men's national team jesse marsh uh... jesse congrats on the win yesterday what what was the what was the chatter pregame how did you get the boys jack for the game yesterday they got yet thanks for having me arm you know we did it well before the match we showed them the three fights.

I love it! And we said, look, we can't throw haymakers, but our version of haymakers are winning tackles, winning duels, and being physical, and sprinting more, and know we kind of fed let's physically you know dominate the game and and i think our guys uh... had a really good performance in and despite no haymakers being thrown you know it was good to get a win jesse what was it like for you getting punted from that game what did you do did you dislike that give me a cold beer and monitor like well what was your

approach to that well look at the i think we can do a bit of a fair that because i ran off like halfway down the pitch in the big a public coaches bachman you know i would and i i'd probably take the wrong time to do it uh... because there was a call earlier that in the game and then there was a call in the days before against mexico where I felt like you could add a penalty in each situation. But the one that I, that I really went crazy for, um, probably wasn't a penalty,

but you know, I was just trying to support our players and I think they've been frustrated by some of the treatment they've got, but they, you know, but they also, they don't stop, man, they're amazing. They, they don't get frustrated. They don't let those kinds of disappointments factor in and they just keep going. So really it's about the team and the kind of progress we've made and the direction of where everything's going.

What do you think in the psychology of the players, what it means to them when they're coached? I don't know if it's like the intensity or standing up for them, but what is your interpretation of like how many times you need to do that or what you need to show your players as far as sticking up for them and being intense

and into the game on the sidelines? Look, I think, you know, we've had a good time together. I think the fit for who I am and who they are and what they need and what the kind of things that I provide by what I value in teams, I think that there's been a lot of symmetries. I think there's been a lot of just things fitting in ways that feel right. So you know, I mean, in a moment like that, they said to me after the Mexico game that they were angry, you know,

and that they needed me and our staff to stand up for them and to help fight the fight, the good fight. Because sometimes, you know, I think the guys, they're such great character, they're such great guys, they're such great players, you know, I think the guys, they're such great character, they're such great guys, they're such great players, you know, but like, they've been mistreated because their kindness is a true virtue with them, you know, but they don't want it to be taken advantage of, they don't want it to be like everyone assumes that they're just going to behave the right way so you know it just takes an American coach to

come in and be a real jerk and then everything kind of balances off. Yeah we like that we love that with Jesse Marsh and I'm curious like you're relatively new still to the program but you know they're within CONCACAF forget the rest of the world within CONCACAF Canada has been you know, they're within Concord Cav, forget the rest of the world within Concord Cav, Canada has been, you know, an underdog really throughout its existence and you're, you know, you're, you're, you're punching up with Mexico and with the Americans and at times with others. Do you feel like it's shifting? Like, is that something you're trying to accomplish? Is that a message you're trying to send your players? Like we don't, do you want to be perceived as an underdog or do you want to fight back on that and say forget it like we want to be the

top dogs here? No I think it's it's now shifting for sure and I and and that's kind of what I said to them from the beginning is like but they're good that they deserve to be good that they're it's okay to be arrogant it's okay to be confident it's okay to believe in yourself, and then to back it up by the performances. And even though we lost to Mexico on Thursday night, I thought we were really good and in many ways the better team in the match.

Games play out in different ways and you don't just because you're the better team doesn't always mean you automatically win the match. But the team is growing, the confidence is growing, their ability to play at a high level is growing. You know, it's an exciting time. It's an exciting time. And with the World Cup, you know, just around the corner, I think the motivation and momentum within the group is really high. And I think that there's so much more work to be done but there's clearly big big potential

with jesse marsh again canada beat in the u.s. yesterday finishing third nations league uh... out in l a and united we were kind of joking about it but you got red carded you left and my understanding is you you didn't see the jonathan david game winner live uh... how quick yet have used when did you see it?

Like did you make sure you got on your phone when you got out of the elevator to check it out? Like what was that like? Yeah you know I wanted to go to a view where I could see the game well and so then I had to take an elevator kind of up to the deck deck and literally as the elevator doors are closing there was an eruption in the stadium and then it are closing there was an eruption in the stadium and then it was now trying to figure out in the 20 seconds where I'm going up to the fifth floor or whatever how loud was the yell and did it mean that it was Canadians or Americans and I was I was pretty sure that it was

Canadians and then also I thought that our team at that point was on top of the match so I figured that it would be ours but obviously now the doors open and I quickly see a monitor and our guys are celebrating so then I know I know it's ours. There you go. You missed a nice goal man. Yeah. It was a beauty. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Johnny David. Exactly. Johnny David. That's him man. I mean the guy he's had a great great year great couple of years in Europe and you know goal scoring had been an issue at times within the program and When you consider what he can do and be a game-breaker for you

We always talk about Davies and we talk about a number of players including Jonathan David But his ability to do what he did yesterday How imperative is that you know moving forward when you guys want to continue to take these next steps? imperative is that you know moving forward when you guys want to continue to take these next steps? Yeah well look he's a complete player he has no weaknesses he's incredibly intelligent he's good defensively he fits in the game I you know I don't know if you guys caught it but last yesterday last yesterday there was a moment where he he was the one sprinting back all the way to stop a transition moment for their most explosive attacking player.

You can count on one hand the amount of high level strikers that would commit to their team in that way. As good as Ronaldo and Messi are, you would never see those guys doing that and that that for me it speaks volumes about who Jonathan is that what kind of teammate he is how committed he is to the to the national team to everything we're doing so yeah he's an inspiration he's an inspiration yeah it was a great match yesterday I know you guys went there to win it but I think leaving on a winning note like you did yesterday obviously is very significant and it's all about building blocks as we get closer and closer to 2026. I know it's a busy time you're probably in transit so we appreciate

you finding some time for us. Thank you Jesse. And yeah I appreciate it. I love you guys are passionate about our team and following us so thanks for the support and you know anytime I'll come on anytime and talk about how great these players are We're getting really excited for next summer. You got it doors always open. Thank you, Jesse There you got you got it Jesse Marsh men's national team beat the Americans on American soil, I love it The best of our great nation one song at a time Justin Bieber American soil. I love it. digital radio station from coast to coast. Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca