‘Insulting’: American coach of Canada men’s soccer team hits back at Trump

The American manager of the Canadian men’s nationalist shot squad is not mincing words erstwhile it comes to Donald Trump.

Jesse Marsch, the Wisconsin-born coach, blasted the U.S. president for his ongoing “51st state” remarks, calling them “insulting.”

“I’d similar to code the 51st authorities discourse, which I find unsettling and, frankly, insulting,” said Marsch portion speaking to the property astatine SoFi Stadium successful Los Angeles connected Wednesday, the tract of adjacent month’s CONCACAF Nations League Finals featuring Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Panama.

“If I person 1 connection to our president, it’s laic disconnected the ridiculous rhetoric astir Canada being the 51st state.”

“As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown 1 of our historically oldest, strongest and astir loyal allies,” helium continued, aft helium was asked astir the caller 4 Nations Face-Off hockey last betwixt Canada and the U.S. and, arsenic an American coaching the Canadian men’s team, however comfy was helium with “all this governmental worldly happening close now.”

Marsch, a erstwhile U.S. men’s nationalist squad player, underscored his connection by comparing his location state to the 1 wherever helium present lives.

“Canada is simply a strong, autarkic federation that’s deep-rooted successful decency,” helium said. “It’s a spot that values precocious morals and respect, dissimilar the polarized, disrespectful and often present hate-fuelled clime that’s successful the U.S.”

Since his inauguration successful January, Trump has said connected aggregate occasions that he’d similar to spot Canada go portion of the U.S., adjacent if that means utilizing what helium called “economic force” to marque it happen.

Marsch took over the Canada men’s programme past May, aft being fto spell arsenic manager for then-Premier League nine Leeds United.

“People truly judge that their differences marque them stronger,” helium continued, talking astir his team’s roster. “Almost each are first- and second-generation Canadians, coming from antithetic heritages and cultures.

“But they are uniquely incredibly arrogant to beryllium Canadian, to correspond their country, to springiness everything to the emotion that they person for each different and playing for their country,” helium added, saying that his squad is much motivated than ever “to amusement connected and disconnected the tract precisely what Canadian quality is.”

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Canada, ranked 31st successful the world, takes connected No. 19 Mexico successful 1 semifinal March 20 portion the 16th-ranked U.S. faces No. 36 Panama successful the other. The title and third-place games volition instrumentality spot 3 days later.

Asked for his response, Oguchi Onyewu, U.S. Soccer’s vice-president of sporting, said helium was determination to beforehand the Nations League.

“My main absorption close present and the U.S.’s absorption is the contention up and hopefully coming backmost arsenic a four-peat champion, knowing that the contention is highly stiff and that immoderate of these 4 teams person the prime successful their subordinate excavation to triumph this tournament,” helium said.

There has been hostility betwixt the U.S. and Canada since January, aft Trump referred to Canada arsenic the 51st authorities and to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arsenic “governor.”

Trump’s program to present tariffs against Canada has besides ratcheted up the stakes successful sports arenas crossed North America, starring to Canadian fans booing the U.S. nationalist anthem erstwhile it is played up of hockey and hoops games.

— With files from The Canadian Press