With U.S. Soccer firing USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter after a dismal performance at Copa América, there has been much speculation over who will take the job next. But on Friday, Canada men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch stated that he certainly won’t be the one to take over the team.
“I’m not leaving this job, I have no interest in the U.S. job,” Marsch said during a press conference ahead of Canada’s third place match against Uruguay. “And to be fair, unless there’s a big shift in the organization, I don’t think that I’ll ever have interest in that job in the future.”
🗣️ “I’m not leaving this job. I have no interest in the US job. Unless there’s a big shift in the organization [US Soccer] I don’t think that I’ll ever have interest.”
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 in the press conference that he is happy coaching for Canada, who appointed him as head coach in May.
But his words also betray a dislike for U.S. Soccer, which likely stems from the last time the federation was looking to hire a head coach. After Berhalter seemed unlikely to retain his job after the 2022 World Cup — especially in the wake of the complex scandal involving the Reynas — Marsch had emerged as a leading candidate for the role. However, after a lengthy coaching search, U.S. Soccer turned around and went right back to Berhalter.
Grudge or not, Marsch has done well with Canada so far, leading the team into the knockout round of Copa América and past Venezuela in penalties before losing 2-0 to Argentina in the semifinal. Marsch’s team made it further in the cross-federation tournament than any CONCACAF squad — further, certainly, than the USMNT, who crashed out of Copa América in the group stage.
The U.S., meanwhile, will keep searching for a new coach elsewhere, but with some of its top options for Berhalter’s replacement already dwindling. Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who quickly emerged as a fan-favorite possibility, already turned down the chance to talk to U.S. Soccer, reiterating that he wants to take a break from soccer.
Canada and Uruguay play Saturday night to vie for third place, while Argentina and Colombia face off in the Final on Sunday.
Canada and the U.S. have a friendly scheduled for September 7, with the possibility that the North American rivalry might have a little more fire this time.
