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Canada’s growth in the international game was already clear when they qualified for the 2022 World Cup after topping Concacaf World Cup qualifying but they took things a step further by coming in fourth at Copa America during the summer. But Jesse Marsch doesn’t want his team to be content with their success so far. In this coming September international window, the Canucks will face the United States and Mexico, teams that they’ll need to defeat to stand alone as the kings of Concacaf.
The USMNT will have an interim coach for the window in Micky Varas as they await the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, but regardless, Marsch expects his team to win in this clash.
“We’re gonna win,” Marsch said on the latest episode of Call It What You Want, a CBS Sports Golazo Network podcast he previously co-hosted. “I’ll say 2-1.”
Given that Canada advanced further in the Copa America than the United States, it’s fair for Marsch to expect his side to emerge with a victory although Folarin Balogun and the USMNT may have other ideas. On Monday, Balogun talked about how this is a window where the USMNT need to make a statement as they look to get the sour taste of Copa America disappointment out of their mouths, and defeating Canada is just the way to kick that off on the right foot.
“I think after the Copa ended there was a mutual feeling in the dressing room of disappointment and we knew that we had to put it to rest, that we had to go away and reflect,” striker Folarin Balogun said. “We’ve come back for this camp and we’ve had the time to reflect and speak together and we have two friendly games coming up. As always, when we have the opportunity to wear this jersey, it’s about putting on a show. We’re not treating it as friendlies and we want to make a statement and remind people what we’re about.”
Only one of these ideas can win and we’ll find out which when Canada and the USMNT square off on Saturday afternoon.
