Canada coach Jesse Marsch hopes his teamB次元官网网址檚 success at Copa America will have dual nationals thinking twice about playing for a different country.
Hired in May as John HerdmanB次元官网网址檚 successor, Marsch helped Canada to a sensational run at the Copa B次元官网网址� his first tournament as manager.
Canada defeated Venezuela on penalty kicks in the quarterfinal before falling 2-0 to eventual champions Argentina and Lionel Messi in the semis. The Canadians then gave heavily favoured Uruguay a run for their money in the consolation final, but lost 4-3 on penalties after giving up an injury-time equalizer to Luis Suarez.
B次元官网网址淢aybe some players were thinking that the opportunity to go to a different nation might be better because they might be able to compete more at the international level,B次元官网网址� Marsch said Tuesday at Centre Nutrilait, CF MontrealB次元官网网址檚 training facility. B次元官网网址淚 think that now that weB次元官网网址檝e shown that we can compete, the recruitment process I think will hopefully be a little bit easier and cleaner.
B次元官网网址�(We can) say: B次元官网网址楥ome to Canada and we can really make some big waves in the World Cup in 2026.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Canada gains automatic entry to the next World Cup as a co-host with the United States and Mexico. Marsch said heB次元官网网址檚 identified B次元官网网址渦p to 10B次元官网网址� dual nationals to evaluate as he looks to build the strongest roster possible for 2026.
The 50-year-old American didnB次元官网网址檛 divulge any names, but that list likely includes striker Daniel Jebbison of Premier League side AFC Bournemouth, winger Luca Koleosho of EnglandB次元官网网址檚 Burnley and fullback Mohamed Farsi of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, among others.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 also the case of Vancouver Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld. The 28-year-old is a Scottish footballer but has not been cap-tied by the national team. He could apply for Canadian citizenship by 2025 and eventually get a call-up to CanadaB次元官网网址檚 team.
Canada hasnB次元官网网址檛 always had success with dual nationals. Calgary-born Owen Hargreaves, a Champions League winner with European giants Bayern Munich and Manchester United, famously chose to play for England in the early 2000s after a snub from CanadaB次元官网网址檚 under-17 team.
Toronto-born Jonathan de Guzman, the younger brother of former Canadian captain Julian de Guzman, played for the Netherlands after gaining citizenship there during his career. And Calgary-born defender Fikayo Tomori, currently with Italian side AC Milan, chose to play for England.
Helped also by getting to the 2022 World Cup, Canada has done a better job attracting dual nationals in recent years. The side Marsch is managing is full of them, including marquee Canadians Alphonso Davies (Liberia), Jonathan David (United States) and Stephen Eustaquio (Portugal).
Luc de Fougerolles, an 18-year-old born in England to a father from Montreal, won his first Canadian cap against Uruguay.
Marsch said heB次元官网网址檒l call on Canada Soccer general secretary and chief executive officer Kevin Blue and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 top players to help recruit even more.
B次元官网网址淜evin Blue is here today and he is an incredible recruiter, as I learned in how he got me here,B次元官网网址� Marsch said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to be calling on him and his experiences, IB次元官网网址檓 going to be doing some travelling and communicating, weB次元官网网址檙e asking some of our leaders in the team to also be part of the recruitment process.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e identifying and then having the types of conversations to find the right kinds of players, dual nationals, to fit into what weB次元官网网址檙e doing moving forward.B次元官网网址�
Despite seeking to add players, Marsch said he put up a sign of B次元官网网址�26 for 26B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� or 26 players for the 2026 World Cup B次元官网网址� at the start of Copa to drive home that each player on his roster had a chance of being back.
B次元官网网址淓very player in that room at that time was in pole position,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭heir job is to develop and to push themselves and to adapt, and to understand what my standards are for the team moving forward, and their job was to make sure that they didnB次元官网网址檛 let their position slip.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of the players in the time we had together developed and adapted incredibly well.B次元官网网址�
Marsch is also focused on discovering more players at home after witnessing little-known 24-year-old Mo茂se Bombito hold his own at centre back against some of the worldB次元官网网址檚 best.
He said his B次元官网网址渄ay jobB次元官网网址� is to help make the national team better, but B次元官网网址渕y passion project is to develop the sport in this country and create better infrastructure at youth levels, so that weB次元官网网址檙e developing players faster and better.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚t is unacceptable that a player like Mo茂se Bombito is not discovered until heB次元官网网址檚 23 years old,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e coached some of the best centre backs in the world. And this is what I told him B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檝e coached (Dayot) Upamecano, (Ibrahima) Konate, (Josko) Gvardiol, and his talent level is in that category.
B次元官网网址淲e have to find a way as a Canadian soccer community, how to create better infrastructure B次元官网网址� weB次元官网网址檝e got to be able to tilt the bar from players being identified and developed at 22, 23, 24 years old and be able to do it more at 16, 17, 18, 19 years old.B次元官网网址�
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