Canada is thinking big when it comes to its vacant men’s national team coaching role
Canada appears to be thinking big when it comes to its next men’s national team head coach.
According to a report in The Standard, Canada Soccer has contacted Jesse Marsch and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over its vacant head coaching role.
The Canadian federation also reached out to José Mourinho and Frank Lampard, who both declined the offer to speak more about the position.
Canada Soccer finds itself in an awkward spot as it looks for a new leader of its men’s national team.
On one hand, the federation is in a financial crisis that helped lead former coach John Herdman to resign last year to take Toronto FC’s head coaching role. Mauro Biello has been serving as an interim since Herdman’s departure.
On the other hand, Canada has been on the rise in recent years, boasting star players like Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan, and will serve as the co-host of the 2026 World Cup.
Marsch has been out of work after being sacked by Leeds 14 months ago. The 50-year-old does have coaching experience in Canada, taking charge of the then-Montreal Impact in 2012 in what was his first head coaching role.
Solskjaer, meanwhile, has been out of a job since he was sacked by Manchester United in 2021.
Other reported candidates for the Canada role include former Chelsea and Real Madrid assistant coach Paul Clement, former Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka, and current Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis.
Clement has been a longtime assistant for Carlo Ancelotti, who would be something of a dream hire for Canada. The current Real Madrid head coach is married to a Canadian and has previously said he’d be open to managing Canada one day.
Should Clement come in, it could be step one of an ambitious plan to eventually hire Ancelotti to lead Canada.
Speaking on CBS’s Call It What You Want podcast on Friday, Marsch batted away the question of whether he’d be a candidate to replace Berhalter should things unravel for the USMNT.
“Is that something you want?” asked host Jimmy Conrad. “Say things don’t go well for us at Copa América. Would that be something you would entertain?”
“The [USMNT] job? No. No, I don’t want that job,” declared Marsch, who has been working as a pundit for CBS on UEFA Champions League and USMNT broadcasts since being sacked by Leeds 13 months ago.
It’s a curious position for Marsch to take, especially as he was strongly linked to the role while U.S. Soccer was sorting through whether to offer Berhalter a new contract or move on. Marsch’s agent eventually went public to rule the 50-year-old out as a candidate for the USMNT post.
Since then, Marsch has been linked exclusively to European clubs, with Southampton, Leicester, Monaco, and Celtic all being connected with Marsch at some point.
As a pundit, Marsch has been more than willing to state his disagreements with Berhalter’s choices. Earlier in March, he questioned the idea of calling Tyler Adams up so soon after his return from a long injury layoff. Marsch has also said that the Berhalter era doesn’t include a signature win, and that the USMNT coach should make John Brooks — who hasn’t been called in by Berhalter since September 2021 — “a centerpiece” of the team’s plans.
In Friday’s podcast, Marsch explained that offering his opinions, whether he agrees with Berhalter or not, is the fundamental duty he has as an on-screen pundit.
“Even when we discuss Gregg, or the tactics, or anything else, it’s always about, are we maximizing what we’re getting out of the team?” insisted Marsch. “Is the tactical model what we what we think is best for the group?… I don’t want anybody to take things too personally because that’s not what it’s meant to do. We’re just here trying to give a little bit of insight.”
Watch Marsch discuss the USMNT job
"The first thing that comes to mind is… What the hell is [Gregg Berhalter] addressing this for."@TMeola1, @jessemarsch and @JimmyConrad respond to the USMNT manager's post-match press conference on Call It What You Want 🌶️👀 pic.twitter.com/aBvTNXITZk
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 22, 2024
The USMNT coach couldn’t help but spike the football after Gio Reyna’s display
After watching Gio Reyna’s incredible display for the U.S. men’s national team on Thursday night, Gregg Berhalter couldn’t help himself.
The USMNT defeated Jamaica 3-1 in extra time, advancing to Sunday’s Nations League final against Mexico at AT&T Stadium.
In his post-game press conference the USMNT coach was asked about Reyna, who came off the bench at halftime and delivered two outstanding assists for Haji Wright to decide a dramatic semifinal.
Chief on Berhalter’s mind was criticism he’d received for calling Reyna up amid a loan at Nottingham Forest in which he’s hardly seen the field.
“I think I heard somewhere or read somewhere, ‘Why did Gio get called in the camp?'” Berhalter said. “Did you guys hear any of that? Anyone?
“Well, I think he showed why he got called into camp. Amazing quality, amazing talent. And for us, it’s about supporting him through the difficult times of adapting to the Premier League. But his quality is unquestionable.
“When you see the plays he made on both the second and third goal, I think most importantly, the ball he wins and then makes the pass [on the third goal]. He has that quality that not many players have and it’s clear that he deserves to play on this team.”
Though Berhalter didn’t name any of the critics, he may very well have been referring to one in particular: Jesse Marsch.
The former Leeds coach and one-time candidate for Berhalter’s job questioned Reyna’s inclusion last week on CBS’s “Call It What You Want” podcast.
Marsch even seemed to suggest that Berhalter was overly deferential to Reyna after the scandal that erupted between the pair and their families last year.
This is what Jesse Marsch said about Gio Reyna's call-up to the National Team. ⬇️ #USMNT 🇺🇸
This was hardly the first time that Marsch had taken aim at Berhalter in recent months. The former Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig coach also questioned the inclusion of Tyler Adams on the current roster, called for exiled defender John Brooks to be given a major role on the USMNT, and said the USMNT lacks a signature win under Berhalter.
Given all of the above, it’s tough to really blame Berhalter if he felt like spiking the football a bit on Thursday night.
One of the favorites is, per his agent, out of the running
Jesse Marsch, one of the leading candidates for the U.S. men’s national team job, appears to be out of the running.
Marsch’s agent Ron Waxman took to social media to make an unambiguous statement on the matter Thursday night, saying that his client’s next job won’t be with the USMNT.
“Jesse Marsch will not be the next USMNT manager,” wrote Waxman on his personal Twitter account.
Marsch, who was dismissed by Leeds in February, has been one of the leading candidates to take over the open USMNT head coach position. The 49-year-old had previously held extensive talks with current U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker over the Southampton job, and is the most widely-known American coach on the world stage.
Marsch reportedly turned down Leicester City in April, and has been linked with the managerial posts at Celtic and Monaco in recent weeks. It was not immediately clear whether Waxman was ruling Marsch out due to the USMNT making a decision, if a different organization had hired Marsch before U.S. Soccer could finish their process, or if talks had simply broken down.
Who is left for the USMNT?
Marsch being out of the picture means the race to claim the USMNT job is more wide open than ever before. The New Jersey native seemed to be a slight favorite, and removing him from the field leaves plenty of options.
Fox Sports reported on Wednesday that Crocker has interviewed over 10 candidates already. One rumored prospect, Steve Cherundolo, dismissed claims that he was on that list as “completely fabricated,” pledging his future to defending MLS champions Los Angeles FC.
Gregg Berhalter, Pellegrino Matarazzo, and Thierry Henry are still rumored to be in contention, though of that group only Berhalter has stated a clear desire to take the job in the immediate future. However, Berhalter is reportedly a finalist for the Club América job, and Dutch outlets have said that he is also being considered by Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam.
Marsch has been unemployed since leaving Leeds in February
If the U.S. men’s national team intends to make Jesse Marsch its new head coach, it may want to get moving.
As the European season comes to a close and teams begin to plan for 2023-24, Marsch has appeared on the radar of at least two big clubs.
Monaco has sacked Philippe Clement after a disappointing campaign in which the Ligue 1 club missed out on Europe entirely. According to multiplereports, Marsch is one of the top candidates to take over at Stade Louis II.
Meanwhile in Scotland, treble-winning Celtic is on the lookout for a new manager after Ange Postecoglou moved on to Tottenham. Marsch is among the top contenders to succeed the Australian, according to Sky Sports.
This presents something of a conundrum for U.S. Soccer, which is methodically conducting a search for its USMNT head coach.
Marsch is considered one of the top candidates for the job, which is now being filled by B.J. Callaghan — the second interim head coach the team has had in 2023.
Callaghan will be in charge for both of the USMNT’s summer tournaments, the Nations League and Gold Cup, which will see him in his position through July at least.
U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker will oversee the coaching search and although he’s said the federation has already spoken to some candidates, he won’t even start his full-time role until August.
Should U.S. Soccer wait until the end of the summer, some names on its list will surely be unavailable. Marsch, who has been unemployed since leaving Leeds in February, looks like he could be one of them.
There is more than just a philosophical change happening with the Red Bulls under Lesesne
HANOVER, N.J. and HARRISON, N.J. — With “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” playing in the background, the culture shift around the New York Red Bulls over the past week couldn’t be any clearer. From a drab, at times stoic approach that has dominated the Red Bulls playing style over the past three years, the last eight days under Troy Lesesne have certainly been very different.
It is an outlook that bears a striking resemblance to the successful spell Jesse Marsch had with the club.
Lesesne, named the Red Bulls interim head coach eight days ago, takes over from Gerhard Struber, who wasn’t very popular among many fans. Struber came to MLS with no small amount of fanfare given his pedigree in the Championship with Barnsley and his successful managerial stints prior to that in Austria. Struber’s outlook on the game emphasized a maniacal level of fitness and a direct approach that could lack creativity.
A string of early playoff exits coupled with a style of soccer that didn’t resemble the beautiful game was enough to make Struber unpopular with fans. But after he admitted he fell short in his handling of the Dante Vanzeir situation, there was a complete breakdown between the coach and many fans.
The Red Bulls went winless in the four games after Vanzeir’s incident, and won just once in their first 11 matches to start the season. The decision was made and Struber left the club.
Enter Lesesne.
With his boyish looks, topped off by a head of hair that would make the perfectly coifed Marsch jealous, there is more than a passing resemblance between Lesesne and the man who is the frontrunner for the United States national team head coaching job. Both Lesesne and Marsch have a charismatic presence that exudes a certain confidence — not a cockiness, but a certain assured quality that the Red Bulls desperately need right now.
Even on the sidelines, Lesesne seemed to channel a Marsch quality. In his tailored suit with a narrow tie, the Red Bulls interim head coach is a ball of energy, constantly clapping and encouraging along the bench area.
“I think resetting our cultural values and being really clear about what those are,” Lesesne told Pro Soccer Wire on Tuesday about his message to his team.
“So that that gives us a really good foundation moving forward of the tactics and everything [that is] going to come if we are on the same page about what we value individually and collectively as a team. Then we can start to move forward in a positive way.”
It has certainly been a positive start for Lesesne ahead of his team’s midweek match at Toronto FC. In his first match leading the Red Bulls, his side churned out a 1-0 win over D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup. Then on Saturday night, they beat New York City FC by the same scoreline in a derby match that was simply a war of attrition.
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Two wins over two rivals is certainly an impressive statement from Lesesne, who came to MLS in 2022 to be an assistant coach under Struber. Prior to that, he was head coach of USL club New Mexico United after spending several seasons as an assistant with the Charlotte Independence and the Charleston Battery.
His current task is to first stabilize his players, both on and off the pitch. Under Struber, the Red Bulls never seemed like a settled club.
Things were always chaotic on the pitch, with the team pressing and counter-pressing. There was no flow, no rhythm to the team. Individuality was pigeonholed into a greater team construct that may have worked defensively, but limited the team to hopeful long balls pinged forward in a desperate, quixotic zeal to find a target forward.
Goals seemed almost haphazard and often came off turnovers.
On Saturday night, the Red Bulls held possession for just a shade under 32 percent of the match, a number not atypical of the club since their change in philosophy in 2015. Red Bull clubs across the globe don’t value possession, choosing to be more dangerous without the ball, pressing and challenging to create turnovers in transition moments.
It may be an unfair criticism of Struber, an accomplished coach prior to his time in New York, but it seemed at times that all his MLS side was able to do was press. Under Lesesne, there is hope that can be turned around.
The derby match, and to a lesser extent the win over D.C. United just days before, showed that when the Red Bulls had the ball, there was a willingness to take chances. Players switched field with purpose, not merely pumping the ball up the field. Central midfielder Cristian Cásseres Jr. played balls through the lines, attempting to spring runners.
In wide spaces, left back John Tolkin took his marker on in an effort to drive towards goal.
All little moments for sure. But little moments that showed that under Lesesne, the players have been freed within the club’s philosophy to be creative. The Red Bulls will always be a team defined by their global philosophy and style of play, but within that greater framework, Lesesne is willing to unshackle the players in the final third.
“I think the Red Bull identity has to be there. First and foremost, we have to be aggressive against the ball, make teams feel uncomfortable, and then try to create chances out of that,” Lesesne said.
“And then how can we create chances in other phases of play? With the ball in particular, can we evolve that idea a little bit more? It is something that I’ve said often, but that’s what we’re working on right now.”
But while the tactical shift is important and will take time, especially given the lack of training time due to fixture congestion over the next two weeks, the most important and subtle change for the Red Bulls is being played over the team’s loudspeaker prior to training on Tuesday.
***
There was smiling and laughing. Players joked around before training and hung around afterward prior to their flight to Toronto. Lesesne too stayed on the pitch, talking with a young player and milling around.
The training session itself was focused but the atmosphere around the club has shifted in just eight days under their interim coach.
Change is the one constant for the Red Bulls, a team that values young legs for all the hard work that their style imposes on players.
Only one player, goalkeeper Ryan Meara, remains from Marsch’s 2015 team that won the Supporters’ Shield. That team remains very much the model for this franchise, a group that collectively pressed the opposition into submission but had a dynamism in the final third that made them dangerous with the ball.
But there was also a collective will and freedom from that group. So perhaps it isn’t a surprise that little changes, such as music before training, are being blended into the atmosphere of the club.
That was Marsch’s first year with the Red Bulls as the team and the entire organization pivoted following the retirement of Thierry Henry. New York went through not just a youth movement but also a change in philosophy that changed their very model to its core.
Lesesne’s task isn’t quite as monumental, but it is clear that the current locker room was in need of a rebuild.
“I think he brings his own energy,” midfielder Omir Fernandez said after Saturday’s derby win over New York City FC.
“I think he’s trying to rally us up and be more together in moments like this. I think we’ve got to give credit to the players and Troy as well for coming together in such a quick notice and being able to get results.”
New York Red Bulls midfielder Omir Fernandez (21) celebrates his goal against New York City FC with teammates during the second half at Red Bull Arena. Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
When Lesesne talks with his team, he does so in a clear and decisive manner. But there is always a buoyancy in his message, mixing clarity of tactics with a boyish enthusiasm. So perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that the 39-year-old Lesesne is a keen admirer of Marsch.
After all, Marsch’s playing career saw him suit up for Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley, the two most accomplished coaches in American soccer history. But Marsch took that tactical acumen and mixed it with an upbeat dose of encouragement and vision, which took him to Europe and most recently the Premier League.
When studying for his most recent coaching license, Lesesne’s project was on Marsch. The two spoke frequently on the phone for the project, giving the Red Bulls coach a rare glimpse into not just the mind of the accomplished Marsch, but also his heart.
Calling Marsch a “mentor,” Lesesne details a burgeoning relationship with the ex-Leeds coach.
“He’s someone that allowed me to understand how he works. I did an entire project on him, because I have so much respect for the path that he’s paved for himself and now hopefully more American coaches in Europe,” Lesesne said.
“And then he’s someone that I’ve leaned on when I was considering coming here when I was offered the [assistant’s] job. I spoke to him throughout this time. I’ve spoken to him and he’s always available, and he’s given me great advice. He is the standard and I have a long way to go to measure up to a guy like that.”
“If American coaches came into this league and won a whole bunch of games it would probably go away”
Jason Sudeikis has said there’s an easy solution for American coaches who are battling the stigma around his show “Ted Lasso” — win some games.
After being named Leeds head coach last year, Jesse Marsch admitted that the hit Apple TV show may not have helped perceptions around American managers in Europe.
“I think there’s probably a stigma. I’m not sure ‘Ted Lasso’ helped. I haven’t watched the show, but I get it,” Marsch said at a news conference in March 2022.
“People hate hearing the word soccer — I’ve used the word football since I was a professional football player. More and more in the States we’re adapting to what the game here is, and our connection to what this league is and what the sport is in this country.”
In the show Sudeikis plays Lasso, who takes over fictional Premier League team AFC Richmond despite having almost no knowledge of the sport.
In an interview with Gary Neville on Sky Sports, Sudeikis said he hasn’t had the chance to speak to Marsch, but brushed aside any concerns that the show could be unfairly stigmatizing American coaches in Europe.
“That’s not the intention at all and I haven’t had the opportunity to apologize or explain myself yet with Jesse Marsch,” Sudeikis said.
“I think it’s a little lazy of anybody to correlate the two, but that’s never our intention to make things more difficult. But I do know that ultimately, if American coaches came into this league and won a whole bunch of games, that would probably go away.”
The American has turned down yet another chance to return to the Premier League
Once again, Jesse Marsch has backed out of an opportunity to return to the Premier League.
Just two months after he was sacked by Leeds and subsequently turned down the chance to take over Southampton, the American has again seen a Premier League job opportunity vanish at the last minute — this time at Leicester City.
According to The Telegraph: “Marsch is understood to feel that the club would need a different kind of manager in the Championship next season if they were to be relegated – as well as a different profile of player to the one that he is accustomed to recruiting.”
It would appear that the Leicester job is the second Premier League managerial position in a row that could have been Marsch’s if he wanted.
Marsch was very nearly snapped up by Southampton just over a week after he was dismissed by Leeds, but a disagreement over his contract length at St. Mary’s saw a deal fall apart at the last moment.
Much like Southhampton (and Leeds), Leicester is in serious relegation trouble. Despite having a talented squad featuring the likes of James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes, the Foxes currently sit in 19th place, one place above the bottom and two points from safety.
Marsch is clearly being choosy about his next position, but it’s unclear if better Premier League jobs will be forthcoming. The American did an admirable job at Leeds, saving the club from relegation last year and constructing a team this season that was statistically outperforming its position in the league.
But Leeds was — and is — still in deep relegation trouble, which won’t result in top-tier Premier League sides beating down Marsch’s door.
He’ll likely manage in Europe again, but Marsch may have seen his window of opportunity in the Premier League close — at least for now.
In the midst of Princeton’s wild comeback against Arizona in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, a familiar-looking face was shown celebrating wildly in the stands.
If you squinted really hard, it sure looked like Jesse Marsch was in attendance at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, going nuts along with the rest of the Princeton fans as their No. 15-seeded team stunned the No. 2 Wildcats 59-55 in the tournament’s first round.
And then, there was the confirmation from the Princeton coach himself, Mitch Henderson.
My mentor and friend @jessemarsch was with us today. He and his wife Kim are godparents to our son…Princeton coaching tree is special stuff. Love you my brother pic.twitter.com/CZnwDh22vZ
Henderson, who was a point guard on the 1996 Princeton team that scored a famous upset over UCLA as a No. 13 seed, led his team to a shocking win on Thursday. The Tigers were down 10 points with eight minutes left before holding the heavily favored Wildcats scoreless for the last 4:43, going on a 9-0 run to close the game out.
It’s unclear if Marsch will be in attendance on Saturday when Princeton faces Missouri for a spot in the Sweet 16. After all, there is now another vacancy in the Premier League and he’s the bookies’ third favorite for the job.
It’s already over for Chris Armas at Leeds…sort of.
Leeds manager Javi Gracia said that the former U.S. men’s national team midfielder, who hasn’t been seen on the bench since the Spaniard took over, is not on his first-team coaching staff.
“He’s not part of my staff. He’s not here,” Gracia told reporters ahead of his side’s Saturday home match against Brighton. “It’s something the club can maybe explain better.”
When Jesse Marsch was sacked on February 6, Leeds said his assistant Rene Maric would also be leaving the club, but Armas stayed on alongside Michael Skubala and Paco Gallardo.
However, when Gracia named his assistants, Armas’ status was not addressed. Skubala was kept on, while Gracia added assistants Mikel Antia, Zigor Aranalde, and Juan Jose Solla. Gallardo is now the club’s Under-21 head coach.
The Athletic is reporting that Armas is still employed by Leeds, but what he’s actually doing at this point remains unclear.
Armas’ very short time with Leeds
Armas couldn’t have picked a worse time to sign on with Leeds. He was officially announced as a new assistant for Jesse Marsch on January 25. That was on a Wednesday, and on the weekend Leeds defeated Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
Leeds then lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest on February 5, and Marsch was dismissed the next day. Armas worked as part of Marsch’s staff for a total of 12 days before things fell into disarray.
Gracia’s clarification on Friday came just 44 days after the club announced that Armas was joining the staff. Since then, he’s been an assistant, one of three members of an interim co-coaching committee set-up, and his current status on the books but not actually given any duties.
