Ahead of friendly vs. U.S., Canada men's soccer coach Jesse Marsch not shy about speaking his mind
Canada men's soccer coach Jesse Marsch is facing scrutiny after criticizing American cultural mentality ahead of a friendly match against the U.S. Marsch, an American coaching the Canadian team, defended his right to speak his mind on political and social issues.
Why it matters
The comments highlight the intersection of sports, national identity, and international diplomacy during a period of strained trade relations.
"Look, I'm American. But I'm honoured and really proud to be the Canadian national team coach," the head coach of Canada's men's soccer team said Monday.
"And I think we know I'm not afraid to say things that I think sometimes need to be said or that I feel should be said, whether people agree with them or not."
Marsch, who hails from Racine, Wisc., raised ire this week with comments he made about American mentality in a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian.
Canadian men's soccer coach Marsch says team hopes to crack top 24 in world rankings
He told the newspaper that Americans are "inundated with propaganda" from a young age and "feel like we deserve to be treated differently because we're Americans."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in