It was a loss that gave Jesse Marsch hope for the first time. Canada didn’t equip themselves well against Mexico. They went down after 57 seconds, and although they dominated long periods of the play, lost 2-0 to a well-drilled side. That fixture was a classic act of falling short, slipping in the Nations League semifinal.
But for Marsch, that result in March was a sign that his Canada can compete in CONCACAF.
“I thought we were the better team in the first half, and then even up until the goal in the second half, Mexico barely crossed midfield,” Marsch told GOAL. “We were disappointed to lose that match, but when you just look at the performance itself, it was actually a positive.”
Perhaps that’s coach talk - a positive spin on a glorious failure. But talk to Marsch, listen to his carefully selected words, his drive and verve, and this is a man who believes what he’s saying. He’s now been in charge of the Canadian men's national team for a year, and heading into a Gold Cup that has suddenly become important, one thing is clear: Les Rouges are at this tournament to win.
“We believe that we're in the range of competing and winning that trophy,” he said. “And we're fixated on doing that.”
