KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Jesse Marsch has said several times he was unhappy with his treatment by the U.S. Soccer Federation when he interviewed for a job last year before Gregg Berhalter was rehired. That won’t be on Marsch’s mind Saturday when he coaches Canada in a friendly against the United States.
“If I make it my own, it’s not fair to what we want to achieve with our team,” he said on Friday.
Marsch, a 50-year-old Wisconsin native and Princeton University graduate who has coached in the Premier League and Bundesliga, was hired by Canada in May and led the team to a fourth-place finish at the Copa América.
Berhalter was fired in July after the U.S. was eliminated in the first round of the Copa América. Mikey Varas, an assistant to Berhalter, is the U.S.’s interim coach while the USSF negotiates a contract 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 the Copa América was not good enough. We understand that. We take responsibility for that,” Varas said. “There is no one in this room who is not ready 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 Argentine with a long career in Europe, would likely have to learn how the American soccer system differs from that of more established countries.
“I hope he can have a really positive influence and I’m pretty sure he will,” Marsch said. “He’s a good coach. He’s done a really good job with his teams in Europe. When I was in Leipzig, it was difficult to prepare for him. I wish him the best.”
After defeats against Panama and Uruguay, the USA hopes to avoid losing three games in a row against Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica since 2015. They have not lost at home against Canada since 1957.
“This is our chance to redeem ourselves,” said defender Chris Richards. “It’s time to show that we are not a team to be looked down on, regardless of our recent results.”
Varas could be hired as San Diego’s first MLS coach and is unlikely to be part of Pochettino’s team, with his stint as interim U.S. coach likely ending after Tuesday’s friendly against New Zealand in Cincinnati.
“It is not only the greatest honor of my life, but also a tremendous responsibility that is very close to my heart,” said Varas.
He doesn’t think his short tenure will affect how players view him during this training camp.
“There’s nobody bigger than the game and nobody bigger than the crest. And whoever the coaches are, long-term or short-term, we all come here for the badge, for the crest. We come here to represent our country,” he said. “It has nothing to do with who’s standing in front of you talking.”
Varas, a former coach of the U.S. U20 national team, meditates but does not require his players to follow his example.
“Meditation and mindfulness is a personal choice for me. It’s something that helps me and it’s not something I force on other people,” he said. “These guys are the best American players on the planet and they have their routines and don’t need Mikey Varas telling them how to prepare better.”
