Marsch laments Canada's Gold Cup collapse, cites his reasons and to-do list

New York Times

a day ago

MINNEAPOLIS — Throughout the past half decade, Canada's rise to the upper echelon of teams in Concacaf has been measured more on a 'feels like' index.
There is, of course, undeniable evidence that it's among the region's best teams. Canada qualified for the 2022 World Cup — the nation's first appearance in the tournament since 1986 — by winning Concacaf's qualifying gauntlet via a goal difference tiebreaker, notching meaningful wins over Mexico and the United States on home soil. After appointing Jesse Marsch, it beat the U.S. in the third-place match of the 2024-25 Concacaf Nations League. However, neither achievement comes with a trophy, and the 2025 Gold Cup was eyed as the obvious (and final) chance to secure hardware before co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.
Instead, Canada exits at the quarterfinal stage — not to the USMNT, Mexico or upstart Panama, but to Guatemala, which entered the tournament ranked 84th in the world according to the Elo Ratings and 106th in the FIFA rankings. Canada led at halftime thanks to a Jonathan David penalty kick, but the half ended with winger Jacob Shaffelburg being sent off for drawing a second yellow. Guatemala equalized in the second half, then outlasted Canada in a seven-round penalty shootout to reach its first Gold Cup semifinal since 1996.
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'This one's really hard to swallow,' Marsch said after the defeat. 'We've got to learn how to win the biggest moments, right? We've made a lot of progress since I've been the national team coach and I really like this group, and I really believe in them, but we have to find a way now to make sure we're at our best in the toughest games and in the toughest moments. We're going to figure that out, and I promise you: we will learn from this, and we will move forward.'
Marsch felt that his side dictated the majority of proceedings, even after his team went down to 10 men. The underlying numbers, however, show that Guatemala really maximized its opportunity after gaining a numerical advantage. Canada had 55% of possession before halftime, then just 31% after Shaffelburg's dismissal. Canada also had a clear 1.19-0.2 xG advantage thanks to a greater quantity and quality of chances created, but fully ceded that edge after halftime and was outshot 8-1 (0.04-0.64). After the game, Marsch said he agreed with the second yellow, but didn't think that the first yellow shown to Shaffelburg was justified.
The manner of Guatemala's equalizer also showed a lack of big-game awareness from Marsch's charges. As the underdog worked upfield in hopes of an equalizer, defender Derek Cornelius went to ground and stayed laying down for five or 10 seconds before getting up and rushing toward his spot. With him unable to establish a footing before a cross came in, Rubio Rubín had no issue weaving in front of Cornelius to power a header past Dayne St. Clair and bring Guatemala level with 20 minutes to go.
'I feel bad for the group, because I know how bad they wanted it, but it's important for us to learn from this,' Marsch said. 'I think we lose because we beat ourselves. We can't do that in important matches, and we certainly can't do that next summer.'
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The premature exit also takes two meaningful games off the board, meaning Canada will only play friendlies between now and the World Cup. Marsch said his staff will do its best to figure out how to simulate big-game stakes and situations, but it's no replacement for a lost tournament semifinal and, performance willing, a final.
Marsch doled out ample praise for several younger members of his squad, adding that 'we're missing half of our group,' with key absences including star Alphonso Davies – arguably the region's best player – midfielder Stephen Eustáquio and center back Moïse Bombito. While the 'half' modifier feels a bit exaggerated when comparing this squad to his most common combinations – and it's dropped after Marsch lauded how much commitment he had from his top players this summer – there were chances for alternatives to make their cases for further involvement. Niko Sigur, Nathan Saliba, Daniel Jebbison and Promise David all stepped into bigger roles in this tournament.
Another rising player, defender Luc de Fougerolles, played all 90 minutes and remained on the field for the shootout. Marsch said his staff had predetermined the first seven kickers, with the young center back identified for the second 'extra kick' beyond the usual five. The 19-year-old ultimately hit his attempt off the bar, reopening the door for Guatemala to advance in their place.
'I feel for Luc, who's a young player who has a big future, and obviously he harbors a lot of responsibility for missing the penalty,' Marsch said. 'But I told the guys, we win as a team and we lose as a team, and we learn from it, and we grow and we get better, and we are fixated on exactly what it's going to take to be successful next summer.'
Marsch also clarified that Jonathan David's late exit wasn't due to any injury, praising his captain for his performances and leadership as he nears the end of his contract with Lille. After leading the team with three goals in the group stage, Tajon Buchanan also exited after halftime, with Marsch citing that the winger 'felt his hamstring' and couldn't push onwards.
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And so, the 2026 World Cup feels all the more imminent in the absence of a deeper tournament run this summer. Guatemala found the narrowest of edges in what Marsch admits was 'a crazy game.' It isn't unusual for Concacaf's top teams to fall victim to frequent upsets — just ask the USMNT and Mexico — but for a program that's hungry to fare better than its last-place showing at the 2022 World Cup when the tournament comes, in part, to its neck of the woods, the lessons from this heartbreak and March's defeat to Mexico in the Nations League semifinal must be learned and implemented immediately.
'I don't see these guys for a month, a month and a half, or about two months,' Marsch said. 'We'll do some work internally until we get there. We'll be discussing with the leaders in the team how we move forward, how we manage this.
'But they're strong men, you know? They're really committed to this. They're really motivated to make sure that next summer, that we represent the country in all positive ways. As hard as it is right now to swallow, we're going to find a way to make sure that we are better forward and that next summer we're more prepared.'