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New York Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
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. Advertisement '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. Advertisement 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.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Canada kicks off Gold Cup run vs. Honduras
Vancouver Watch A big night at BC Place—Canada's men's soccer team kicks off its Gold Cup run tonight against Honduras.
NBC Sports
11-06-2025
- Climate
- NBC Sports
2026 World Cup predictions: With one year to go, here are some (very) early predictions
The 2026 World Cup kicks off in the USA, Mexico and Canada on June 11, 2026, so that's one year from today and with that in mind it felt like a good time to reveal some predictions. MORE — 2026 World Cup venues, schedule, dates Of course, these are incredibly early predictions given the fact that only a handful of teams have booked their spot in the newly-expanded 48-team tournament, but there's still plenty of fun to be had imagining how epic next summer is going to be and predicting how it will all play out. MORE — Which teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup? Okay, here are my (very, very early) 2026 World Cup predictions. One of the host nations will go on a very deep run There have never been three host nations of a World Cup before, so the odds of one of them doing well is higher than normal. I hear you. But this feels like one of the host nations is peaking at exactly the right time. And it's not the one you think. Canada. Jesse Marsch's side have Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan, Alistair Johnston and Stephen Eustaquio all hitting their prime together and playing on some huge teams in Europe. There is a great balance and togetherness about this Canada team. They feel like a club team and Marsch's high-energy approach will ruffle plenty of feathers. Look out for Canada to make a deep run and both Mexico and the USMNT can only hope they're anywhere near Canada in terms of solidity and squad depth when the World Cup begins. Weather conditions will be a huge factor There have been very few headlines about it so far, but we all know how hot it gets in North America over the summer months. The heat is going to be a huge factor. Of course, teams will acclimatize and prepare but most of the domestic league seasons in Europe finish just two weeks before the 2026 World Cup kicks off. That doesn't give players that much time to adjust to the new climate. Several stadiums in the U.S. have the ability to host games indoors (Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and SoFi) and so does BC Place in Vancouver, Canada. But next summer there will be a huge advantage for teams who are used to playing in warmer, more humid conditions. You will hear a lot more about this in the coming 12 months. Mbappe will leave Messi, Ronaldo behind and become highest scorer in World Cup history When it comes to scoring goals and being general GOATs we know Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are legends. But Messi has scored 12 goals across five World Cup tournaments to put him sixth all-time. Ronaldo has scored just eight goals across the same number of tournaments. As for France's Kylian Mbappe, well, he's played in two World Cups and scored 12 goals already. This is the World Cup where Mbappe will overtake Messi in terms of goals scored at a World Cup and to do that in three fewer tournament is just absolutely bonkers. Messi will turn 38 during the tournament next summer. Ronaldo will be 41. Mbappe? He will be 27 and have at least another two World Cups in him. Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals is probably going to go next summer and Mbappe's impending record may never be beaten. Several giants will struggle With the new expanded format it will be tough for most teams to not make it out of the group stage. But there are quite a few big boys who could struggle mightily. Brazil's squad is lumpy, stacked in certain areas but very thin in others, and new manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to be pragmatic and the balance is just off for Brazil. Their qualifying struggles prove they will have a poor World Cup unless something drastic changes. When you look elsewhere, you can also see the likes of Germany and Italy (if they qualify) struggling because they're in the middle of talent cycles. They are being forced to rely on veterans or players who are inexperienced and like Brazil they have very talented individuals but the overall balance is off. Predicting the dark horses Okay, there are going to be a few teams in this list who have yet to qualify but they're looking pretty good and I'd back them to go far next summer. Norway is the obvious choice as they're flying in qualifying as they have a solid defense and the talent of Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa, Alexander Sorloth and Oscar Bobb in attack. Another team to watch out for is Japan. I'm not sure we can call them dark horses as they should have made an even deeper run than the last 16 in the 2022 World Cup, but with Mitoma, Endo and Kubo leading the way they are so well balanced and dominated qualifying in Asia. Another three teams I'm keeping a close eye on are Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay. All three have impressed throughout South American qualifying and have tight-knit units. Colombia have the talent to go the furthest but Ecuador are solid and their defense and midfield is so tough to break down. Paraguay have a great crop of youngsters coming through too. Also, don't sleep on Turkiye, Switzerland or Sweden from Europe either, as all three nations have rising stars and experienced heads and a nice balance about them.
CTV News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Festivals abound this weekend in Metro Vancouver
The Vancouver skyline is seen from CTV News Vancouver's Chopper 9 in October 2018. (Pete Cline) The first full weekend of June brings no fewer than four free street festivals to check out in Metro Vancouver. From Italian Day on the Drive to Car Free Day in Newton, here's a look at what's happening across the region. BC Lions' Concert Kickoff Snoop Dogg headlines the BC Lions' annual Concert Kickoff this Saturday at BC Place. The legendary rapper is scheduled to take the stage at 5:45 p.m., and kickoff of the Lions' CFL opener against the Edmonton Elks is scheduled for 7 p.m. More than 50,000 tickets have been sold, leaving the team expecting a season-opening sellout for the second year in a row. Italian Day on the Drive Arguably the biggest and most established of the weekend's street festivals is Italian Day on the Drive, which will take over Commercial Drive between North Grandview Highway and Venables Street from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Vancouver's annual celebration of Italian food, heritage and culture features seven stages with live entertainment – not only music, but also a fashion show and multiple pasta-eating contests – spread along the 14-block street closure. More information, including a performance schedule and a map, can be found on the Italian Day website. Italian Day on the Drive Italian Day on the Drive 2024 drew crowds on Sunday, June 9. (CTV News/Jordan Jiang) West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest Before Vancouver celebrates its historic Little Italy on Sunday, West Vancouver will be hosting a multicultural celebration in Ambleside Park on Friday night and Saturday. Featuring cultural pavilions representing many of the diverse backgrounds that make up the West Vancouver community, along with live performances on multiple stages and food vendors serving flavours from around the world, West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest is intended to unify and celebrate the district's residents. The festival is open from 4 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. Burnaby Heights Hats Off Day Burnaby Heights will celebrate its local community with a festival this weekend, too. Hats Off Day began in the early 1980s as a way for local businesses to say 'hats off' to the neighbourhood that supported them throughout the year. Over the decades, it has grown into an annual parade and street party that shuts down Hastings Street between Boundary Road and Gamma Avenue. This year's theme is 'Disco Fever!' The festival begins with a 'Family Fun Dash' at 9:30 a.m., followed by the parade at 10 a.m. and the street party from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hats Off Day 2024 Hats Off Day 2024 is seen in this photo from the event's website ( / Lisa King / TwinLens Photography) (Twinlens Photography/TwinLens Photography) Car Free Day Newton This weekend also marks the start of Car Free Days of Summer, with a portion of 137 Street in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood closing to traffic for Car Free Day from noon to 8 p.m. The closure stretches from 72A Avenue to 74 Avenue, with three stages of live entertainment, mini golf, a climbing wall, bounce houses and more activities for all ages. Food trucks and an artisan market will also be set up for the festival. The full performance schedule can be found on the Car Free Day Surrey website. Doors Open Richmond A less centralized kind of celebration is happening in Richmond this weekend, as businesses and organizations around the city welcome visitors for the annual Doors Open Richmond event. Organized by Richmond Museum, the event brings together more than 50 partner sites – including art studios, national historic sites, farms and religious organizations – that highlight the diversity of the city. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More information about each participating location and its offerings can be found on the museum's website. Public Disco Block Party Public Disco – which hosts both free and ticketed dance parties in public spaces around Vancouver throughout the summer – is kicking off its 2025 season with a two-day block party on Granville Island. The free, all-ages event takes place from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, with distinct 'musical journeys' planned for each day. In addition to DJ sets, the event will feature a food market, two bars and a kids zone. More information can be found on the Public Disco website. Public Disco Granville Island Last year's Public Disco event on Granville Island is shown in this photo from its website. ( Weekend craft and artisan markets Several special market events are also planned around Metro Vancouver this weekend, beyond the ones taking place as part of larger festivals or ongoing events. Here are four that may be of interest:
Associated Press
05-06-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Whitecaps report illness following CONCACAF Champions Cup final
The Vancouver Whitecaps said a 'significant number' of players who traveled to Mexico for last weekend's CONCACAF Champions Cup final have become ill. The Whitecaps canceled practice Wednesday and had a modified session for cleared players Thursday after both players and staff reported gastrointestinal symptoms. 'The health and well-being of our players and staff remain a top priority. Each player has been provided with an individualized program by the medical and performance staff to support their continued preparation and recovery,' the team said in a statement. The Whitecaps are scheduled to play the Seattle Sounders in a Cascadia Cup rivalry match at BC Place on Sunday. The Whitecaps lost 5-0 to Cruz Azul on Sunday in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City. Last year in the tournament final, players for the Columbus Crew also became ill. The Crew lost to Pachuca 3-0 in Mexico. ___ AP soccer:
