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New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Jesse Marsch and Canada eye historic opportunity a year out from World Cup
One year from Thursday, Canada will step onto BMO Field in Toronto and try to do what no Canada team has done in the men's World Cup: win a game – and then possibly elevate the team and the sport into mainstream consciousness. It's the next step in a rapid rise, but one that has eluded Canada in its two men's World Cup appearances. Advertisement With the most talented team in Canadian history, and World Cup games at home, the opportunity won't get better than this. A year out from what could be a transformational event in Canadian sport, whispers have emerged about this team being Canada's golden generation. What's missing is the kind of wins that those types of teams around the world deliver. Behind the scenes, achieving Canada's first men's World Cup win and reaching the knockout round is the bar that the coaching staff and organization have set for the team. Of the 80 countries to have appeared at the World Cup, Canada is one of just two nations to have appeared at multiple World Cups without logging a single point. That's part of what's driving the desperation for this group: It understands it has to change the course of this team, and the sport, for the better. 'I think we're not at the point we want to be,' Stephen Eustáquio said when asked about the state of the team with one year before the World Cup. 'If the World Cup was this summer, I wouldn't know what to say. But with the path we are taking and the work rate we have and the way that we play, I think this year is going to be very important for us, so we can be sharp enough to prepare ourselves for the World Cup.' How they answer questions about their team over the next year will determine how prepared Canada will be to take the next dramatic step. Let's be honest about what Canada's core – Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Alistair Johnston and Eustáquio – has accomplished in meaningful, competitive games against difficult competition: 2022 World Cup qualifying wins over Mexico and then the U.S. at home remain the most impressive results. The other wins they've earned? They came against teams that won't offer the quality they'll see in the World Cup. How about what Canada has accomplished since Jesse Marsch took over in May 2024? You could make an argument that their style of play beforehand is now irrelevant. The 0-0 draw away to France in June 2024 could be viewed as a significant achievement, depending on where you fall on the 'friendlies are never friendly' debate. Getting that kind of result in the World Cup would signify a massive step forward. Beating down Ukraine 4-2 this past weekend in a friendly was also the most clinical win from the Canadian side. Even though Canada's Copa América triumphs against Venezuela and Peru showcased important steps forward in tactical cohesion and confidence, both teams also appear unlikely to qualify for the World Cup. Advertisement The lack of results against some of the world's better teams should not go overlooked – especially since the players themselves are not overlooking it. 'We're going in the right direction and building off the last tournament in Copa América, but I think we still have a lot to give,' forward Cyle Larin said. 'Obviously, we want to win games and trophies, but we have to win by doing the right things and compete at the highest level. We've turned things around quickly, but the more games we play and win, the more things will click.' What Canada has lacked is savviness and game management against stronger opponents. The talent has been evident, but the ability to lock down games and buoy their cases with referees mid-game has been lacking. For Canada to get results in the World Cup, the next year must include the development and amplification of street smarts to complement the qualities already evident. Right now, it's fair to debate whether Canada is ready to face the best opponents around the world in must-win, competitive games. Based on recent results and quality in the squad, Canada could make a case for being Concacaf's best team at the moment. But the best team in the region usually delivers the right punches when it needs to in the World Cup. The U.S. outlasted Iran for a knockout spot in 2022 with an impressive win in a tense environment. Mexico flipped the 2018 World Cup on its head by shocking then-reigning champion Germany in their opening match, propelling El Tri to the knockout round. Does Canada have the quality and savviness to pull off those kinds of wins? The focus over the next year should be on preparing players for those kinds of scenarios. Expect Canada to book friendlies against top European and South American opponents at the end of 2025 and leading into the 2026 World Cup. Canada must not just welcome the experience of playing strong opponents, but also turn those experiences into results that will bolster their confidence. Behind the scenes, Canada's coaching staff has preached the need to believe they can beat anyone. That's proven to be a difficult psychological hurdle to overcome – especially with painful memories of the three losses in Qatar still lingering. Whether it's converting one chance or preventing one the other way, World Cup games are often decided by the slimmest of margins. One year before those games, Canada's best players have to put themselves into a place where they can break World Cup games wide open. If Canada's friendly draw (and loss on penalties) to Ivory Coast with a heavily-rotated squad proved anything, it's that Marsch's depth is a work in progress. But Canada's top-end talent is arguably as strong as any other Concacaf team. Advertisement That talent must arrive at the World Cup at its collective peak for Canada to make a dent. It's been easy to assume that Jonathan David will be an elite performer at the World Cup because he's been so automatic as of late. He has averaged a goal in over half the games he's played for Canada. David appears to be getting better as an attacker, too. There's a case to be made that his clinical finishing makes him Canada's most important player, especially if World Cup games get tight. Remember, Canada only advanced out of the Copa América group stage because David scored the lone goal in the first three matches, in a tight 1-0 win over Peru. David has likely scored as much as he has for Canada because he's also been firing with regularity with his club side, Ligue 1's Lille. But this summer, he'll move up the ladder to a club in a stronger league. But what happens if the playing time and goals don't continue? Canada is blessed to have a finisher of his quality. He's the type of player only the better World Cup teams will have. He's also, as it stands, Canada's only proven finisher. Very few moves this summer could alter Canada's chances like David's transfer. 'I think the most important thing for (David) is, it's not good if he goes somewhere and then he has to play on the bench a lot and not get minutes to keep himself sharp and fit and ready to go, especially with the World Cup being a year away,' Marsch said of David's upcoming transfer. At the other end, Moïse Bombito also has a case to be Canada's most important player at the World Cup. It was a lack of foot speed from central defenders that led to Belgium's lone goal in the teams' 2022 World Cup opener. Preventing that goal could have resulted in a draw – and changed Canada's tournament. It's that fine margin again. Canada's coaching staff believes Bombito's speed, physical profile and technical qualities give him the potential to be elite at the position. While a move from Ligue 1's Nice is highly unlikely before the World Cup, keeping the 25-year-old sharp and injury-free – he's currently out with a wrist injury – is crucial. Advertisement Then there's Davies. Will he recover from his devastating ACL tear through this upcoming season at Bayern Munich? The all-world left back's confidence and pacy play will also be paramount to Canada's chances. Eustáquio's playing time with a very good Porto side in Portugal has ebbed and flowed. When he's not playing for his club side, he's not as disciplined and effective for Canada. As the most central player on the field, his minutes have to stay high for Canada's transition play to be sharp. Canada's last two friendlies and Gold Cup will effectively act as the final auditions for players Marsch is looking to round out his World Cup squad. That he got buy-in from many top players to feature in the Gold Cup could help squad harmony and tactical understanding. 'By the way, not one guy has said to me, 'I don't want to come to the Gold Cup,'' Marsch said, in what feels like a not-so-thinly-veiled shot at the U.S.'s squad, highlighted by the absence of Christian Pulisic. Building out his team beyond the World Cup locks is a constant topic of discussion in team meetings, with Marsch consistently asking his group a version of this question: What are you doing on your own time to be part of the players we need in 2026? One year out, let's break down where Canada's roster is likely at and who must earn Marsch's trust with their play for club and country: Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Moïse Bombito, Stephen Eustáquio Tajon Buchanan, Alistair Johnston, Derek Cornelius, Maxime Crepeau, Dayne St. Clair, Ali Ahmed Outside of the goalkeepers, expect these players to start nearly every World Cup game. They've earned Marsch's trust and must execute on his physical demands – aggression and pressing – whenever possible in their club seasons. Richie Laryea, Jonathan Osorio, Cyle Larin, Ismaël Koné, Mathieu Choinière, Jacob Shaffelburg Advertisement There's a lot of veteran leadership here. Marsch might not get more than a handful of starts across the board at the World Cup from these players, but he will need them at their fittest to execute his pressing style. Tom McGill, Joel Waterman, Luc De Fougerolles, Niko Sigur, Nathan Saliba, Tani Oluwaseyi The most important question these players must answer over the next year: Can they be trusted? That will involve making consistently sound decisions through their club season and then elevating their play and physicality in Canada training sessions. They might not play continuously through the World Cup, but Marsch will need to be convinced they can quickly adapt to whatever a game may present in a rare start or appearance off the bench. Promise David, Daniel Jebbison, Gabriele Biancheri, Jamie Knight-Lebel, Kamal Miller, Sam Adekugbe, Jayden Nelson, Zorhan Bassong, Liam Millar, Jacen Russell-Rowe, Luca Koleosho For some, including Adekugbe and Millar, health will determine their place in the squad. For others, they must show Marsch they can handle his physical and tactical demands. For Koleosho, it's about Marsch convincing the Burnley winger to join Canada instead of Italy, Nigeria or the U.S. Jonathan Sirois, James Pantemis, Junior Hoilett, Samuel Piette, Santiago Lopez, Kwasi Poku, Shola Jimoh, Theo Bair, Stephen Afrifa With a combination of veteran voices and young players without much international experience, it would take injuries elsewhere or seriously strong seasons from those in this group to put them on the squad. (Top illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Mark Blinch, Eliecer Aizprua Banfield / Jam Media, Shaun Clark / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)
New York Times
21-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
USMNT vs. Canada: A desirable matchup with undesirable third-place stakes
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Stephen Eustáquio began to look down at the floor in frustration before stopping to consider what lies ahead. It was less just a few hours after his Canada team came into their Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Mexico riding a wave of optimism and, they believed, preparation before a must-win match. That sense of optimism began to erode just 47 seconds after kickoff when Mexico scored the opening goal. It then disappeared completely with Mexico's second goal to send El Tri to the final. The long-time bosses of Concacaf showed the savviness and experience Canada still lack. Advertisement Canada's midfield general knows this. 'It's experience,' he said of what Mexico has that Canada doesn't right now. 'It's something that we will get in the future, we just have to continue to work.' And when Eustáquio considered when the next opportunity to work, as it were, would come? That's when his demeanor flipped. 'It's a game against the U.S., and that motivates us a lot more,' he said of Canada's opponent in the upcoming third-place game, following the U.S.'s stunning defeat in the other semifinal to Panama. 'They're our rivals. We beat them in (a September friendly). They want to beat us, and we want to beat them again.' U.S. vs. Canada: it's the game so many at the Nations League – the Canadians especially – wanted. It's just happening under wholly undesirable circumstances. The next chapter in this burgeoning rivalry will be more about avoiding catastrophe and humiliation rather than competing for a trophy. Both Canada and the U.S. should have woken up Friday morning feeling incomplete. With the World Cup a little over a year away, this third-place game offers each a chance to save face, and the opportunity to do so against an opponent equally as determined to set things back on course. Against Panama, the U.S. couldn't display the necessary work rate and emotion to properly influence the game, in manager Mauricio Pochettino's estimation. A lackadaisical performance made for a wholly boring affair. Coupled with a premature Copa América exit, this group of skilled American players – many plying their trade for prominent European clubs – will aim to turn its talent into a more cohesive effort against Canada. 'The difference was the way they fight for the game,' Pochettino said of Panama. 'They were hungry for every single ball. Every ball was the last one for Panama and, from the touchline, you feel that difference.' Advertisement For the U.S., facing Canada presents a second match in which it can demonstrate the requisite enthusiasm, intensity and quality that's been lacking, arguably dating back to the 2022 World Cup. 'Just as we always do after games: We have to rest a bit, we're going to watch back the game a little bit, see what we can improve on so we can get better and just get ourselves in the best physical and mental conditions to go again in a few days,' U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. For Canada, it can probably sleep a little easier knowing the effort was front and center against Mexico. It dominated possession, tried to act as the aggressor by winning more duels and got close to goal on occasion. But once Canada got there, it faltered mightily. The questionable finishing and lack of quality final passes were once again Canada's tactical undoing. Canada has now been shut out in half of manager Jesse Marsch's 14 games in charge. The time to continue relying solely on his trusted forward pair of Jonathan David and Cyle Larin may have run out. But beyond rectifying poor play in the final third, the intangibles will matter to Canada against the U.S. Canada knows its core is lacking a truly decisive win against the U.S. in tournament play. It may not be in a final, and perhaps a third-place match won't carry the same clout, but this is an opponent the players have been eyeing, backed with supreme motivation. 'There's no secret there's a bit of a political issues surrounding this game more recently,' Canada's Jonathan Osorio said. 'There's no hiding that it is the back of our mind. But at the end of the day, we are going to prepare for this game the best way possible: to go out and win.' That's been easier said than done for Canada. A group with talent that can stack up against the of the U.S., must show the kind of canny and game management that is necessary in pressure-filled, tournament situations. There was no doubting Canada's intensity against Mexico. But the Canadians still lack the experience to turn intensity into quality attacking opportunities and close games out. The latter was alarmingly true earlier this summer as Canada squandered a lead in the Copa América third-place game against Uruguay. 'Now, it's just that little bit of savviness that the best teams have and the best players have that we're going to continue to push (for),' Marsch said. As Osorio alluded to, this match could garner more attention than the average third-place game because of the wider implications. The strained political relations between the two longstanding allies – and World Cup cohosts – serves as a backdrop. How each team channels that aspect – or elects not to – will reveal plenty. The recent Canada-U.S. games at the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament provided a window into what kind of intensity an inflamed political climate can create. There were three fights in nine seconds. Fans booing opposition national anthems. A final that went down as an immediate classic. Advertisement The third-place setting zaps some of the organic aura surrounding the game, but there should still be plenty of motivation considering each's desire to respond to disappointment – and doing so amid the external factors. Plus, outside of this summer's Gold Cup, which will feature less-than-full strength squads given that FIFA has allowed clubs to take priority over countries for the expanded Club World Cup, this will realistically be each team's final opportunity to play a truly competitive game before hosting World Cup games at home. So no, there's no trophy at stake. It's not a final. But it's still a matchup that both can use to apply to the games that truly matter in 15 months. 'Every game from now on,' Canada's Jonathan David quickly and sternly answered, when asked about the third-place game, 'is preparation for the World Cup.'
