After Copa America success, Marsch hopes Team Canada can recruit more dual nationals

Canada coach Jesse Marsch hopes his team’s occurrence astatine Copa America will person dual nationals reasoning doubly astir playing for a different country.

Hired successful May arsenic John Herdman’s successor, Marsch helped Canada to a sensational tally astatine nan Copa — his first tourney arsenic manager.

Canada defeated Venezuela connected punishment kicks successful nan quarterfinal earlier falling 2-0 to eventual champions Argentina and Lionel Messi successful nan semis. The Canadians past gave heavy favoured Uruguay a tally for their money successful nan consolation final, but mislaid 4-3 connected penalties aft giving up an injury-time equalizer to Luis Suarez.

“Maybe immoderate players were reasoning that nan opportunity to spell to a different federation mightiness beryllium amended because they mightiness beryllium capable to compete much astatine nan world level,” Marsch said Tuesday astatine Centre Nutrilait, CF Montreal’s training facility. “I deliberation that now that we’ve shown that we tin compete, nan recruitment process I deliberation will hopefully beryllium a small spot easier and cleaner.

“(We can) say: ‘Come to Canada and we tin really make immoderate large waves successful nan World Cup successful 2026.'”

Canada gains automatic introduction to nan adjacent World Cup arsenic a co-host pinch nan United States and Mexico. Marsch said he’s identified “up to 10” dual nationals to measure arsenic he looks to build nan strongest roster imaginable for 2026.

The 50-year-old American didn’t divulge immoderate names, but that database apt includes striker Daniel Jebbison of Premier League broadside AFC Bournemouth, winger Luca Koleosho of England’s Burnley and fullback Mohamed Farsi of Columbus Crew successful Major League Soccer, among others.

There’s besides nan lawsuit of Vancouver Whitecaps skipper Ryan Gauld. The 28-year-old is simply a Scottish footballer but has not been cap-tied by nan nationalist team. He could use for Canadian citizenship by 2025 and yet get a call-up to Canada’s team.

Canada hasn’t ever had occurrence pinch dual nationals. Calgary-born Owen Hargreaves, a Champions League victor pinch European giants Bayern Munich and Manchester United, famously chose to play for England successful nan early 2000s aft a snub from Canada’s under-17 team.

Toronto-born Jonathan de Guzman, nan younger relative of erstwhile Canadian skipper Julian de Guzman, played for nan Netherlands aft gaining citizenship location during his career. And Calgary-born defender Fikayo Tomori, presently pinch Italian broadside AC Milan, chose to play for England.

Helped besides by getting to nan 2022 World Cup, Canada has done a amended occupation attracting dual nationals successful caller years. The broadside Marsch is managing is afloat of them, including marquee Canadians Alphonso Davies (Liberia), Jonathan David (United States) and Stephen Eustaquio (Portugal).

Luc de Fougerolles, an 18-year-old calved successful England to a begetter from Montreal, won his first Canadian headdress against Uruguay.

Marsch said he’ll telephone connected Canada Soccer wide caput and main executive serviceman Kevin Blue and Canada’s apical players to thief enlistee moreover more.

“Kevin Blue is present coming and he is an unthinkable recruiter, arsenic I learned successful really he sewage maine here,” Marsch said. “We’re going to beryllium calling connected him and his experiences, I’m going to beryllium doing immoderate travelling and communicating, we’re asking immoderate of our leaders successful nan squad to besides beryllium portion of nan recruitment process.

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“We’re identifying and past having nan types of conversations to find nan correct kinds of players, dual nationals, to fresh into what we’re doing moving forward.”

Despite seeking to adhd players, Marsch said he put up a motion of “26 for 26” — aliases 26 players for nan 2026 World Cup — astatine nan commencement of Copa to thrust location that each subordinate connected his roster had a chance of being back.

“Every subordinate successful that room astatine that clip was successful rod position,” he said. “Their occupation is to create and to push themselves and to adapt, and to understand what my standards are for nan squad moving forward, and their occupation was to make judge that they didn’t fto their position slip.

“A batch of nan players successful nan clip we had together developed and adapted incredibly well.”

Marsch is besides focused connected discovering much players astatine location aft witnessing little-known 24-year-old Moïse Bombito clasp his ain astatine centre backmost against immoderate of nan world’s best.

He said his “day job” is to thief make nan nationalist squad better, but “my passion task is to create nan athletics successful this state and create amended infrastructure astatine younker levels, truthful that we’re processing players faster and better.”

“It is unacceptable that a subordinate for illustration Moïse Bombito is not discovered until he’s 23 years old,” he said. “I’ve coached immoderate of nan champion centre backs successful nan world. And this is what I told him — I’ve coached (Dayot) Upamecano, (Ibrahima) Konate, (Josko) Gvardiol, and his talent level is successful that category.

“We person to find a measurement arsenic a Canadian shot community, really to create amended infrastructure … we’ve sewage to beryllium capable to tilt nan barroom from players being identified and developed astatine 22, 23, 24 years aged and beryllium capable to do it much astatine 16, 17, 18, 19 years old.”