Canada's historic run to the Copa America semifinals could be a turning point for soccer in the country as it prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup, coach Jesse Marsch said Wednesday.
Canada's historic run to the semifinals marked its best performance at a major tournament outside of the Gold Cup, an experience Marsch hopes will inspire a love of soccer in the hockey-crazed nation.
“We want to inspire the nation,” Marsch said a day after Canada's 2-0 loss to Argentina in New Jersey. “We want to develop the sport in the country.”
“We want people to remember this moment as a moment that changed the trajectory of this sport in Canada.”
However, Marsch said they still have a lot to do to compete with the best teams in the world, including developing more Canadian-born talent at a younger age and encouraging current players to be more vocal leaders on and off the court.
“We are consolidating our positions at a high level, but to be a real team that can rise to the occasion in the most important moments and matches, there is a lot of work to be done,” said Marsch, who took over just five weeks before the start of the Copa America.
“Physically, mentally and intellectually, we have to find a way to develop players faster.”
“When you play against Argentina, when you play against France, and you can see the speed of play and the power with which the best players play, that's where we have to go.
“We have athletes in this country. Now we have to develop them in a way that they understand high-level football.”
With an eye on Saturday's third-place playoff against Uruguay or Colombia, Marsch led a training session on Wednesday morning with the players who did not start Tuesday's semifinal.
He's still evaluating who will start that game, but said some backup players have clearly earned the honor and would benefit from playing against elite opponents.
Marsch said Alphonso Davies' X-rays were “negative” after he suffered a foot injury in Tuesday's game, but it was unclear whether he would be able to play in Saturday's match.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
