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Or sign-in if you have an account.Jesse Marsch, head coach of Canada, celebrates after his side's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between South Africa and Canada at Los Angeles Stadium on June 28, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif. Photo by Fran Santiago /Getty ImagesWhen Jesse Marsch was the head coach of one of the biggest football clubs in northern England, supporters there were quick to give him a nickname: Ted Lasso.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIt was not intended as a compliment.Leeds United fans were not comparing Marsch to the sweet earnestness of the titular character played by Jason Sudeikis on the television show, but they felt that, like Lasso, he was a clueless American.He was brash, he was arrogant. Leeds supporters didn’t like that he would sometimes lead a post-match huddle on the pitch, a performative display of coaching that would normally be left to the privacy of the dressing room.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againMarsch gave one of those speeches on the pitch in Los Angeles on Sunday, after the biggest win in the history of the Canadian men’s national team.“You guys are Canadian heroes,” the coach of Canada’s team said, on a broadcast feed that was still being watched around the world. “You should be so proud of who you are. You should be so proud of this game — you never lost belief.”Marsch said the 1-0 win over South Africa, which came on Stephen Eustaquio’s goal in the dying minutes, would impact future generations of soccer players in this country. “You are Canadian heroes,” he said again.At this point, you half-expected a polar bear or a moose to lumber across the screen, such was the Canadiana on display. Jesse Marsch speaks with his players in a huddle after the team’s victory against South Africa at Los Angeles Stadium on June 28, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif. Photo by Alex Grimm /Getty ImagesOn the Fox broadcast in the United States, analyst Peter Schmeichel, former goalkeeper for Manchester United, wasn’t having any of it. “I honestly don’t like it,” he said. “That is for the dressing room, but that is a personal opinion I have.”In his post-game press conference, Marsch was asked about that kind of pushback. His response was, well, brash.“There are people who like to say it’s performative to meet on the pitch, and frankly, I don’t give a s–t,” he said. “All I care about is our own team and what we do together.”Ted Lasso would not have been quite so blunt.When Marsch became the head coach of the Canadian men’s team in 2024, it is fair to say there was considerable skepticism. A former player who had a long career in Major League Soccer, he had a successful stint as coach of the New York Red Bulls in that same league, and then a decent run in Salzburg, but a job in charge of RB Leipzig, in the top German league, lasted barely three months.He took over Leeds United in England’s Premier League midway through the following season, but only made it about a year before being dismissed with the club near the bottom of the standings.When Canada Soccer hired Marsch, it seemed possible that they had simply tried to find a big name instead of one with a proven track record. Would this outsider American really be the guy to lead Canada into a home World Cup?Marsch almost immediately set about proving the doubters wrong. He travelled the country and met with Canada Soccer supporters’ groups, while making an effort to form relationships with players who had only ever experienced success with the national team under departed coach John Herdman.Some good results followed, including a best-ever fourth-place finish at the Copa America in Marsch’s first big tournament with the Canadian team. Jesse Marsch reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between South Africa and Canada at Los Angeles Stadium on June 28, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif. Photo by Fran Santiago /Getty ImagesThe coach also endeared himself to Canadian fans in another way: before last year’s CONCACAF Nations League, he took a moment, unbidden, to address the 51st state jibes that had been repeatedly coming from U.S. President Donald Trump, calling them “unsettling, and frankly insulting.”Marsch said, “Canada is a strong, independent nation that’s deep-rooted in decency,” and he wasn’t done there.“As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard we’ve shown” to a close ally, he added.An honest assessment of the political tensions of the time? A transparent ploy to win over the Canadian fan base? Why not both?In the months since, Marsch has continued to be one of the more pro-Canada Americans. He sings every word of “O, Canada” before matches, and has said that he had to beg and plead with American players to sing their anthem before games, unlike Canadians who do it proudly. He taps the Canada badge on his sweater when celebrating big moments.Is some of his passion for his role with Canada fuelled by the fact that he was passed over by the U.S. Soccer Federation for the head job there when the men’s team needed a new coach in 2022? Possibly, but that only helps his case here. Jesse Marsch, annoyed by American authorities? He really is like us!The nature of tournament football is that the slightest of changes could have turned the Marsch-related narratives around completely. If Eustaquio doesn’t score that thumping late goal, Canada potentially loses a game it should have won, and we are left to debate the coach’s tactics and substitutions and, yes, attitude. Arrogance really only works when you are winning.But Canada did, and Marsch tapped the crest and told everyone how much he loves the country that employs him.He might be a brash American, but he’s our brash American now. 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