Jesse Marsch: “This is a golden generation of players ... They’re too young to be afraid”
The Leeds United head coach thinks that this is the best generation in the history of the United States in a World Cup.
The United States men’s national team wants to change the way the world sees American soccer at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. According to Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch, this is the best generation in the history of the USMNT in the tournament and this will be a stepping stone to when they host the World Cup in 2026.
Marsch believes in this US team
“This US team has a chance to be inspiring again. That’s the best thing that can happen for our sport,” Marsch wrote in a column for The Athletic. “They won’t want to talk about it right now, but in reality, this World Cup is a stepping stone for the team. We all want to see the team do really well, but everyone back home is looking at 2026 and imagining what this can really become when the World Cup comes back to the US.”
The USMNT arrives in Qatar as the second-youngest team with an average age of 24 and with the majority of the players coming from Europe’s top tier clubs. Earlier in the week Christian Pulisic said that this generation is ready to change the global perception of the United States men’s national team and Marsch believes that they will be able to achieve that goal.
“We do think this is a golden generation of players. We do think that on pure potential this is the best group we’ve ever had. So can they develop and grow in a way where, in three and a half years, they can be talked about as semi-finalists? Finalists? They’re too young to be afraid. Too young to know any better,” Marsch wrote.