March 20 – “This has the potential to be a real heavyweight fight and we are excited to be part of it.”
Canadian coach Jesse Marsch has made it clear that he and his team will leave it all in the ring when they meet Mexico in the second of the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles tonight.
While the USA meet Panama in the first of the semi-finals, the top of the bill is undoubtedly the Canada-Mexico bout that features a Canadian team packed with talent that at last looks like it really could fulfil on their promise on the big stage.
“Our expectation is to win, we are favourites. This is an important time for us. A lot of our guys are playing the best they have ever played. They are maximising their own potentials,” said Marsch.
Against them is a wily old stager in Javier Aguirre (pictured top right) who what it takes to win a fight and is in the process of rebuilding Mexico and carries the weight of expectation that needs the big comeback to be tonight.
“The pressure on the national team in this tournament is to win. We know what we are facing and that we will be judged by our results and nothing else… We always think about winning,” said Aguirre.
“Our direct rival is Canada who have played a hard game recently. They have a good coach who knows his business. He has coached at a very high level in Europe,” he continued.
“They have some very good offensive transitions. This is not the Canada of many years ago. They are a rival to be respected. It is anyone’s tournament right now.
“The truth is Canada have surprised me. Jesse has put a lot of energy in to the team. He is a coach that really pushes and gives confidence to the Canadian team to play wherever they are (on the pitch).”
The respect is mutual with Marsch pointing out that “Aguirre has reorganised Mexico and made them more like their great teams of the past, but this is also a moment for us.”
Under Marsch, Canada’s results have been impressive and go into the final four as the top ranked nation.
“We have confidence in the group. They have grown a lot in the last 10 months. Playing Mexico will be physical and hard for us but the guys are ready for this challenge and ready for this moment. The grand focus is on next summer but this is an important stop on the way.”
There is no doubt that the current political situation with their common neighbour USA has brought a charged atmosphere to these games.
Marsch is promising that not only will his Canadian team fight but they will do without compromise.
“Trying to win every moment on the pitch is the only way to progress. It is about confidence, aggressiveness, fearlessness, search and seek to be on the front foot, and to play attractive football,” said Marsch.
It is high octane stuff. It is what international football should be all about.
Fuelling the fight will be the potential for goals.
Marsch has said he will start with both his serial goalscorers, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin who “are both committed to doing things at the highest level”.
He also points out that Aguirre “has two good strikers in good form and that makes them more dangerous. Does he play both or does he play one? I think he could play both.”
Santiago Gimenez (now at AC Milan) and Raul Jimenez (Fulham) are both in form and bring a different dimension up front to the Mexican forward lines of recent years. Aguirre was cagey when asked about who he would start, though it is hard to believe his options realistically extend beyond these two have still to be given a real opportunity to show .
Whoever he unleashes and whatever he throws at Canada, he can expect the same and more back.
There is no doubt. This is more important than it has ever been before, on multiple levels.
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