Canada coach Jesse Marsch hopes his team91裸聊视频檚 success at Copa America will have dual nationals thinking twice about playing for a different country.
Hired in May as John Herdman91裸聊视频檚 successor, Marsch helped Canada to a sensational run at the Copa 91裸聊视频� his first tournament as manager.
Canada defeated Venezuela on penalty kicks in the quarterfinal before falling 2-0 to eventual champions Argentina and Lionel Messi in the semis. The Canadians then gave heavily favoured Uruguay a run for their money in the consolation final, but lost 4-3 on penalties after giving up an injury-time equalizer to Luis Suarez.
91裸聊视频淢aybe some players were thinking that the opportunity to go to a different nation might be better because they might be able to compete more at the international level,91裸聊视频� Marsch said Tuesday at Centre Nutrilait, CF Montreal91裸聊视频檚 training facility. 91裸聊视频淚 think that now that we91裸聊视频檝e shown that we can compete, the recruitment process I think will hopefully be a little bit easier and cleaner.
91裸聊视频�(We can) say: 91裸聊视频楥ome to Canada and we can really make some big waves in the World Cup in 2026.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�
Canada gains automatic entry to the next World Cup as a co-host with the United States and Mexico. Marsch said he91裸聊视频檚 identified 91裸聊视频渦p to 1091裸聊视频� dual nationals to evaluate as he looks to build the strongest roster possible for 2026.
The 50-year-old American didn91裸聊视频檛 divulge any names, but that list likely includes striker Daniel Jebbison of Premier League side AFC Bournemouth, winger Luca Koleosho of England91裸聊视频檚 Burnley and fullback Mohamed Farsi of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, among others.
There91裸聊视频檚 also the case of Vancouver Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld. The 28-year-old is a Scottish footballer but has not been cap-tied by the national team. He could apply for Canadian citizenship by 2025 and eventually get a call-up to Canada91裸聊视频檚 team.
Canada hasn91裸聊视频檛 always had success with dual nationals. Calgary-born Owen Hargreaves, a Champions League winner with European giants Bayern Munich and Manchester United, famously chose to play for England in the early 2000s after a snub from Canada91裸聊视频檚 under-17 team.
Toronto-born Jonathan de Guzman, the younger brother of former Canadian captain Julian de Guzman, played for the Netherlands after gaining citizenship there during his career. And Calgary-born defender Fikayo Tomori, currently with Italian side AC Milan, chose to play for England.
Helped also by getting to the 2022 World Cup, Canada has done a better job attracting dual nationals in recent years. The side Marsch is managing is full of them, including marquee Canadians Alphonso Davies (Liberia), Jonathan David (United States) and Stephen Eustaquio (Portugal).
Luc de Fougerolles, an 18-year-old born in England to a father from Montreal, won his first Canadian cap against Uruguay.
Marsch said he91裸聊视频檒l call on Canada Soccer general secretary and chief executive officer Kevin Blue and Canada91裸聊视频檚 top players to help recruit even more.
91裸聊视频淜evin Blue is here today and he is an incredible recruiter, as I learned in how he got me here,91裸聊视频� Marsch said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e going to be calling on him and his experiences, I91裸聊视频檓 going to be doing some travelling and communicating, we91裸聊视频檙e asking some of our leaders in the team to also be part of the recruitment process.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e identifying and then having the types of conversations to find the right kinds of players, dual nationals, to fit into what we91裸聊视频檙e doing moving forward.91裸聊视频�
Despite seeking to add players, Marsch said he put up a sign of 91裸聊视频�26 for 2691裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� or 26 players for the 2026 World Cup 91裸聊视频� at the start of Copa to drive home that each player on his roster had a chance of being back.
91裸聊视频淓very player in that room at that time was in pole position,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭heir job is to develop and to push themselves and to adapt, and to understand what my standards are for the team moving forward, and their job was to make sure that they didn91裸聊视频檛 let their position slip.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of the players in the time we had together developed and adapted incredibly well.91裸聊视频�
Marsch is also focused on discovering more players at home after witnessing little-known 24-year-old Mo茂se Bombito hold his own at centre back against some of the world91裸聊视频檚 best.
He said his 91裸聊视频渄ay job91裸聊视频� is to help make the national team better, but 91裸聊视频渕y passion project is to develop the sport in this country and create better infrastructure at youth levels, so that we91裸聊视频檙e developing players faster and better.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t is unacceptable that a player like Mo茂se Bombito is not discovered until he91裸聊视频檚 23 years old,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e coached some of the best centre backs in the world. And this is what I told him 91裸聊视频� I91裸聊视频檝e coached (Dayot) Upamecano, (Ibrahima) Konate, (Josko) Gvardiol, and his talent level is in that category.
91裸聊视频淲e have to find a way as a Canadian soccer community, how to create better infrastructure 91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檝e got to be able to tilt the bar from players being identified and developed at 22, 23, 24 years old and be able to do it more at 16, 17, 18, 19 years old.91裸聊视频�
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