KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Jesse Marsch has said several times he was unhappy with his treatment by the U.S. Soccer Federation when he interviewed last year before Gregg Berhalter was rehired. That won't be on Marsch's mind Saturday when he coaches Canada against the United States in a friendly.
“If I make this about me, that’s not fair to what we’re trying to do with our team,” he said Friday.
A 50-year-old Wisconsin native and Princeton graduate who has coached in the Premier League and Bundesliga, Marsch was hired by Canada in May and led it to a fourth-place finish in the Copa America.
Berhalter was fired in July after the U.S. was eliminated in the Copa first round. Mikey Varas, a Berhalter assistant, is the interim American coach while the USSF negotiates a deal with former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino to lead the U.S. through the 2026 World Cup.
“We all know that Copa America wasn’t good enough. We understand that. We take responsibility for that,” Varas said. “There’s not a single character in that room who isn’t willing to look in the mirror and take that responsibility.”
Marsch played in Major League Soccer from 1996 to 2009 and coached Montreal and the New York Red Bulls. He said Pochettino, an Argentinean with a lengthy career in Europe, probably will have to learn about how American soccer systems are different from those in the more-established nations.
“I hope that he can come in and have a real positive impact, and I’m pretty certain he will,” Marsch said. “He’s a good coach. He’s done really well with his teams in Europe. He was difficult to prepare for when I was at Leipzig. I wish him the best.”
Coming off defeats to Panama and Uruguay, the U.S. hopes to avoid losing three straight games since 2015 against Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica. It has not lost to Canada at home since 1957.
“It's a chance to redeem ourselves,” defender Chris Richards said. “It's time to show that we're not a team to be looked down upon, regardless of our recent results.”
Varas could be hired as San Diego’s first MLS coach and isn’t likely to be part of Pochettino’s staff. He stint as U.S. interim coach is likely to end after Tuesday's exhibition against New Zealand in Cincinnati.
“It’s not only the biggest honor, of my life, but it’s also a responsibility that’s massive, and it’s one that I cherish,” Varas said.
He doesn’t think his short tenure has an impact on how players view him during this training camp.
“There’s no one that’s bigger than the game and there’s no one that’s bigger than the crest. And so whoever the coaches are, coming in long-term, short term, we all show up here for the badge, for the crest. We show up here to represent our country,” he said. “It has nothing to do with who’s standing in front of you and talking.”
Former coach of the U.S. under-20 team, Varas meditates but doesn't ask players to follow his example.
"Meditation and mindfulness is a personal decision for me. It’s something that helps me, and it’s not something that I push on other people," he said. “These guys are the best American players on the planet and they got their routines and they don’t need Mikey Varas telling them how to be better prepared.”
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The Associated Press
