“Devastated and angry”: One-time USMNT target reveals pre-Pochettino close call
The USA let Jesse Marsch, now the architect of Canadian growth, slip away. In a new interview, Marsch recalls the sliding-doors moment.
It took Americans a while to fully appreciate Mauricio Pochettino as the captain of a World Cup-hosting ship like the U.S. men’s national team, but at this point, they’d hardly trade the Argentine’s services for any other coach.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss is shaping his squad’s mentality match after match, gradually introducing new USMNT fan favorites - such as Matt Freese, Diego Luna, and Alex Freeman - which gives him the aura of being custom‑built for the United States. And yet… it’s now known that “Poch” wasn’t the only candidate considered by the Stars & Stripes.
“I got a call from US Soccer...”
Jesse Marsch, head coach of Canada since March 2024, has already collected a list of achievements with his squad. In June of last year, his players pulled off the feat of defeating Ukraine - marking their first win over a European nation since 2011 - while also climbing from No. 42 to No. 30 in the FIFA rankings. And in terms of quality, at least compared to Mexico and the U.S., they hardly look out of place.
Had things turned out differently when the Americans picked up the phone back in April 2023 to gauge Marsch’s interest in leading the USMNT, the storyline might have followed another path entirely… though it’s impossible to know whether that alternate reality would have benefited the U.S. more than it would have hurt the Canadians.
“I got a call from US Soccer when I was literally being fingerprinted [for a visa to take over] at [Premier League club] Leicester,” Marsch told an interview with GiveMeSport this week.
But the 52-year-old says he was left “devastated” when the U.S. suddenly turned its back on him: “All I’d say is it was made very clear to me by US Soccer that I was going to be the [USMNT] coach, and then it was made very clear to me that I was not. At the time, I was devastated and angry, but now I am thankful and really happy to be where I’m at.”
“When they play us, I want them to lose!”
Part of the gratitude he expressed about being with Canada stems from the serenity of the environment - a setting free of pressure, ego, or the influence-driven meddling that often characterizes more powerful federations.
Still, he went out of his way to praise the role Pochettino plays at the helm of the USMNT and made clear that his enduring wish is for the Americans to succeed, as it ultimately strengthens the sport’s growth in the country. “I want the players that I’ve coached or know and the team to be successful,” Marsch said, but quipped: “My only thing is, when they play us, I want them to lose!”
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