Why Jesse Marsch is under Concacaf investigation and Canada's response
Canada Soccer says it is working to 'resolve this matter' after Concacaf opened an investigation into Canada men's national team coach Jesse Marsch on Wednesday.
Concacaf initiated disciplinary proceedings over the possibility that Canada Soccer and Marsch 'disregarded regulations applicable to suspended match officials and used offensive language toward Concacaf match officials' during Canada's 6-0 rout of Honduras to open the Gold Cup – a match for which Marsch was suspended.
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'We received a notice from Concacaf and are currently gathering the relevant information, for our submission, as part of the process to resolve this matter,' a Canada Soccer spokesperson told The Athletic.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, have detailed why Marsch is currently being investigated.
It's believed Marsch was directed by a Concacaf official to a suite in Vancouver's BC Place ahead of Canada's match, where he was to watch the game. Marsch was then approached by a Concacaf official later in the match and told he was not in the correct place and had to leave the suite. Marsch, likely frustrated at what he believed to be mixed messaging, then used language Concacaf deemed 'offensive.'
Canada Soccer's deadline to submit information as part of the proceedings is this Saturday, the same day as Canada's second Gold Cup game, against Curaçao. Marsch remains suspended following his red card in Canada's third-place match of the Nations League finals against the U.S. in March, which resulted in a two-game ban. He is eligible to return for Canada's third group game, against El Salvador on June 24.
Behind the scenes, Canada Soccer is believed to be focused on cooperating and diffusing any continued controversy between the organization and the confederation.
Marsch has repeatedly put Concacaf in the crosshairs with public comments and actions, making it natural to wonder whether Concacaf's proceedings against Marsch and Canada Soccer are an effort to push back against the continued criticism of the confederation.
Ahead of the Nations League match against the U.S., Marsch said his Canada team has felt 'disrespect for a long time' when playing in games with Concacaf officiating, only to then take issue with calls against the U.S. to the point he was ejected and suspended. Marsch and Canada Soccer also felt frustrated they never received proper feedback on why a penalty was not awarded to Derek Cornelius in Canada's semifinal against Mexico.
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Earlier this month, Marsch alleged to reporters that multiple Canada and Vancouver Whitecaps players were 'poisoned' on Concacaf's watch while they were in Mexico for the Concacaf Champions Cup final.
'It's for me, appalling that this is the second year in a row that Concacaf and the powers that be have allowed an MLS team to go down to Mexico for a big final and get poisoned,' Marsch said. 'It's ridiculous. Something has to be done to protect these environments.'
Marsch also questioned why Concacaf required him to name his Gold Cup squad ahead of Canada's June friendlies against Ukraine and Ivory Coast.
On Wednesday, Marsch said he was 'disappointed' that his team could not travel sooner to Houston, where it will play its second and third games of the group stage, while also expressing frustration and it being unclear where a first knockout game would be played.
'They didn't have room for us, however Concacaf arranged this. They didn't time for us because maybe there's other games or something going on down there where we can't get there sooner,' Marsch said. 'So we don't have much time to acclimate. And the other part is: how (do we not) know where we're going?'
Concacaf has not yet publicly announced which teams that reach the knockout stage will travel to either Glendale, Ariz., or Minneapolis for the quarterfinals, leaving team officials with little time to prepare their teams for the next phase of the tournament.
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