Per insider Tom Bogert, Marsch wasn’t having it with Qatar‘s attitude after the foul that cost Ismael Kone a broken leg. Per Bogert, “Marsch adds it was ‘strange behavior’ from Qatar’s bench after the leg-breaking foul, arguing it should be a yellow and starting arguments.”

Despite the catastrophic ending in the play, the fact is the foul wasn’t as harsh. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, the foul plus a serious dose of bad luck ended in Kone suffering the tragic injury.

Marsch also had a tense encounter with Qatar’s HC Julen Lopetegui

As the final whiste blew and the 6-0 Canada win was sealed, the two head coaches went for a handshake. That’s basically protocol, but it turned out that Lopetegui and Marsch had a non-friendly interaction towards each other due to how the game developed.

During the postgame press conference, Marsch said “I’m not wasting a single second talking about that.” It was a very high-tension matchup. Canada was angry because of Kone’s incident and the Qatari reaction. Qatar was fuming due to the chaotic 0-6 loss, and it just ended in a clash between the head coaches.

Canada is in prime position to get to the next round

The Round of 32 looks very achievable for Canada right now. Switzerland and Canada both have four points, but Canada leads the group due to its superior goal difference (CAN +6, SWI +3).

Hence, Canada has basically sealed its participation in the Round of 32. However, that doesn’t mean its next game is meaningless. Canada will play vs. Switzerland for seeding. The better the seeding, the better the chances to get a favorable matchup in the first KO stage game.

“I could hear the bone snap. Your heart goes out to him. Everybody’s shaken for him,” Jesse Marsch admitted to reporters, still in shock and disbelief, after Canada’s 6-0 victory over Qatar in Group B of the 2026 World Cup.

Based on Marsch’s comments and the images themselves, it seems the 2026 World Cup has come to a crushing end for Kone, who was born in Ivory Coast and is one of Canada’s seven players born overseas. Kone is currently at the hospital, and the head coach admitted he would be on his way there after his media availability.

Turning point in Canada vs Qatar

Canada jumped to an early lead thanks to Cyle Larin’s goal to open the scoring at BC Place. From there onwards, it was all Canada. The Canucks blew the Maroon One out of the water, ending the first half with a 3-0 lead and virtually securing all three points with 45 minutes left.

However, the atmosphere in Vancouver completely shifted after Kone’s injury. Although Nathan Saliba scored a free-kick goal and celebrated with Kone’s jersey, it still didn’t feel the same. The harrowing scenes left their mark. It felt like all Canada cared about was getting the game to come to an end.

In the meantime, they did add to their goal tally, and star Jonathan David joined Lionel Messi as the only players with hat tricks at the 2026 World Cup. Still, not even that could change the tone. Everybody was still trying to process Kone’s injury and why it had to happen on a seemingly harmless play in a game that was all but over. In sports, these types of injuries often have no explanation. No matter how hard the Canucks scratch their heads for one, they may never find it.

Canada made a statement

Indeed, Kone’s apparently World Cup-ending injury tarnishes Canada’s rout of Qatar, but Les Rouges have a lot to be proud of, even if tonight is not the best night to celebrate. Thanks to their 6-0 victory, Canada delivered a message. Not only that, but the Great White North has virtually punched its ticket to the round of 32.

De Paul has had a very good Copa America for Argentina, serving as a driving force and key passer for a team that has not played at its best.

Towards the end of the match, De Paul was fouled near the touchline, sparking an animated exchange of words between him and Jesse Marsch.

Jesse Marsch Doesn’t Address Rodrigo De Paul Encounter

Jesse Marsch was visibly animated during the game against Argentina, gesturing and cursing. At one point, when De Paul and Marsch were in close proximity, Marsch said something to the Atlético Madrid star, who angrily gestured for Marsch to “be quiet”.

De Paul later made a hand gesture implying that Marsch “talks too much”. During the post-game press conference, when asked about the incident, Marsch ironically responded, “I just wanted to see if he was okay”.

In the semifinal matchup between Canada and Argentina, the Toronto native placed a hefty $300,000 bet on Jesse Marsch’s side, despite Canada having suffered a 2-0 defeat to Argentina in their opening Copa America match.

Argentina, who is having a disappointing tournament has been reliant on individual brilliance, and have seen Lionel Messi powering through despite a hamstring injury. Conversely, Canada, with only two goals scored in the competition, reached the semifinals by upsetting Venezuela in a penalty shootout. A potential victory over Argentina to reach the Copa America final would undoubtedly mark the greatest achievement in Canadian soccer history.

Drake’s Betting History

Drake has amassed billions in wagers, notably through roulette on Stake, a prominent crypto casino where he holds a portion of. He frequently bets six and seven figures on major sporting events, although many of his high-stakes wagers have not yielded successful returns.

Despite this, he has seen success in Super Bowl bets, winning $1.15 million on the Chiefs in 2024 following a $700,000 wager the previous year that netted him $1.48 million. However, his betting track record in high-profile sports events often leans towards losses, contributing to the emergence of the infamous “Drake Curse.”

Speaking to the media before this huge game, both Canada head coach Jesse Marsch and captain Alphonso Davies made it clear they will put up a fight in New Jersey as they want to continue writing history at the Copa America.

“It’s going to take everything,” Davies said, via NDTV. “Going into this game, we know what’s on the line. We win and go forward, we lose and go home. They’re going to come out with everything. We’re hungrier than ever, we expect a battle — as they should.”

Marsch, who has already done a great job by leading Canada out of a tough group, has also warned the soccer community that his team will not drop back and let Argentina take control of the game.

“The game against Argentina will have to be the best we’ve ever played… We’re not going to sit back and just try to defend. We will be aggressive,” Marsch said. “We’re going to try to play the way we want to play and see if we can keep it up.”

Argentina and Canada meet again at the 2024 Copa America

Argentina and Canada had met only once before this tournament in a commanding friendly win from La Albiceleste ahead of the 2010 World Cup. But in this Copa America alone, these sides will face each other more times than ever before.

With goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in the 2024 Copa America inaugural match in Atlanta. Now, Messi and company will once again have to beat the last Concacaf team standing to keep their title defense alive.

Messi expected to start for Argentina vs Canada

Even though he’s been troubled by a muscle injury, Messi is expected to captain Argentina in the 2024 Copa America semifinal against Canada. After leaving Angel Di Maria on the bench in the quarterfinal vs Ecuador, coach Lionel Scaloni will reportedly start the veteran winger as well.

Argentina and Canada will lock horns on Tuesday, July 9, at 8:00 PM (ET) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a ticket to the 2024 Copa America final on the line. The winner will play Colombia or Uruguay on Sunday, July 14, at 8:00 PM (ET) Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The loser, on the other hand, will have to settle with the third-place game in Charlotte on Saturday.

Jesse Marsch is currently riding a wave of success, albeit by his own low standards, having reached the quarterfinals of the Copa America with a record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, and scoring only 1 goal. When considering both the 2022 World Cup and the Copa America, Canada has managed just 3 goals in 6 major international tournament matches.

Marsch, whose team defeated Peru 1-0, will hope to continue their good fortune against Venezuela, who topped Group B by winning all three of their group games, conceding only 1 goal. Despite all this, Jesse Marsch found the opportunity to share his thoughts on the ailing USMNT program.

Jesse Marsch on USMNT

“I would love to say I’m just focused on what we’re doing here in Canada, but obviously, I’m paying attention, as always, to the US men’s national team, and like you, I’m sad. I’m disappointed by the performances, by the lack of discipline. There are a lot of things that I think we’ve tried to embody about the game in the US, and we’ve always believed in this group of players,” Marsch stated in a press conference.

“Because I’m not there every day, I don’t have my finger on the pulse of exactly what’s going on, but certainly, it’s not what we had expected before this tournament. Somehow, they’ve got to come up with solutions,” the former Leeds United boss concluded.

Canada takes on Venezuela in the Copa America quarterfinals on July 5th in Arlington, Texas.

One of the main worries for Marsch is former pupil Erling Haaland who has 23 goals in 18 matches this season and is on the road of a record setting season in the Premier League. During the Leeds United press conference Marsch spoke about Haaland and joked about the text they sent to each other.

“He texted me as soon as the schedule came out,” Marsch said, “He said he’s most excited for this, and I gave him permission to have a small hamstring injury for that match!”

Jesse Marsch and Erling Haaland’s history

“He was born in Leeds, his father has history here and he has the club in his heart because of that. When I got the job, him and his father were supportive. We’ll expect him to be fully ready and that causes issues for us,” Marsch added.

Haaland and Marsch worked together during the Norway striker’s time at Red Bull Salzburg in 2019-2020, where Haaland scored 28 goals in 22 games across all competitions. The pair won an Austrian Bundesliga together and Marsch said in an interview that Haaland was a tireless worker and at times would be asked to stop training so hard.

For Rangnick he has come under fire for his handling of Cristiano Ronaldo, the election of former USMNT midfielder Chris Armas as an assistant and being labeled as a lame duck coach by the media.

Nonetheless Rangnick has gotten words of support from one former pupil, Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch who worked as an assistant under Rangnick at RB Leipzig in the 2018/19 season. Later Marsch would move to Austrian power RB Salzburg.

Jesse Marsch on Ralf Rangnick

“The first thing I learned was how specific and detailed the Germans are in the way they think and talk about football… They’re lasered-in on the smallest of details. It’s a quality of Germans, I think. They’re very detail oriented and specific”, Marsch said.

“I thought I was detail oriented about football until I met Rangnick. Then I knew I wasn’t. This was a guy who worked through a system, a vocabulary and methodology that I never even thought was possible. I called it an explosion in my head because it taught me a new way of thinking. From there, I was learning more and more and detailing things more and more. It was an important moment for me” Marsch finished.

For Marsch he is using everything he has learned to help Leeds United stay up in the Premier League for Rangnick he is trying to help Manchester United finish as high as possible in the standings and smooth the transition for the next coach.

Unfortunately, his marriage with the Red Bull family did not end well as his short stint as coach of RB Leipzig ended with the team not being able to find their footing under Marsch. Despite some good performances, key losses to direct rivals ended his time with a record of seven wins, four draws, and six losses.

Now he has a hard act to follow after Marcelo Bielsa was sacked from Leeds United. Bielsa transformed Leeds from an underachieving Championship side to a team that now dreams of bigger things. As the English media begins to learn about Marsch, his CV surely is indicative of a manager worthy of a club like Leeds United.

Jesse Marsch jokes about Ted Lasso

In his first press conference the American coach talked about where the club is at, what his philosophy is tactically and man management, and even spoke about his early family life. Then he touched on the stigma of American soccer coaches and the Ted Lasso effect.

“I think there’s probably a stigma. I’m not sure ‘Ted Lasso’ helped. I haven’t watched the show, but I get it,” Marsch said. “People hate hearing the word soccer — I’ve used the word football since I was a professional football player. More and more in the States we’re adapting to what the game here is, and our connection to what this league is and what the sport is in this country.”

Marsch finished by stating: “I can understand that they don’t think we [American coaches] have the experiences that can be created here in Europe. Frankly they’re right… I mean, it was the reason I came to Europe. It was the reason I learned German. It was the reason I tried to adapt to new culture, it is the fifth country I’ve coached football in. It takes me out of my comfort zone every time. It challenges me to grow every time, and to develop and learn new things. I’m very open to that and cognizant of the fact that I’m not perfect and I don’t want to be. All I can say is the only way I know how to do things is to go all-in and to give everything I have, to believe in who I am, to believe in the people that I work with and try to maximize what we are every day. And I find that if you do that then you can be incredibly surprised with the human spirit and what you can achieve.”

“So, that sounds like Ted Lasso, from what I’ve heard”, Marsch said jokingly. Before his time in Austria, Marsch had success in Major League Soccer coaching the New York Red Bulls to two Support Shields, equivalent of the best record and points during the regular season, he began his coaching career with CF Montréal in 2011, among his coaching highlights is that during his time with Salzburg he coached Erling Haaland.

Marsch will have his first experience in the Premier League shortly after he parted ways with Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig following a poor start to the season. Now he faces a huge challenge ahead of him with the Peacocks flirting with relegation to the English Football League Championship.

As the former New York Red Bulls and Salzburg manager makes his way to England, here we take a look at all the American managers who have previously worked in the prestigious Premier League.

How many Americanshave coachedin the Premier League?

Jesse Marsch will be the third American head coach to work in the Premier League. The 48-year-old has signed a contract at Elland Road that runs until 2025 with the challenge of filling in the shoes of Marcelo Bielsa. With Marsch, these are the three US managers who made their way to the English first division:

Jesse Marsch (Leeds United |2022 – )

Following a long playing career that saw him represent the USMNT and don the colors of DC United, Chicago Fire, and Chivas USA in the MLS, Jesse Marsch began a great managerial career. His first success came in New York Red Bulls when he achieved the Supporters’ Shield and was named 2015 Coach of the Year. Some years later, Marsch guided Salzburg to back-to-back Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup titles. He didn’t last long at the helm of Leipzig in the 2021-22 but now has a second chance in one of the world’s best leagues.

Bob Bradley (Swansea City | 2016)

Bob Bradley became the first UScoach to be hired by aPremier League club when he took over at Swansea City in October 2016. However, hehad a tough time from the very beginning, with fans and media claiming that the club’s new owners – who were American – had only appointed Bradley for being American. He never overcame that tough atmosphere and was sacked in December, 85 days after his arrival. Bradley’s stint lasted only 11 games, in which Swansea won twice, lost seven, and drew in two occasions.

David Wagner (Huddersfield Town | 2017-2019)

Even though he was born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany, David Wagner had American citizenship and played for the United States Men’s National Team between 1996 and 1998. He spent his playing career bouncing around different German clubs before he began his path as a head coach at Borussia Dortmund II in 2011. Four years later, Wagner took over at Huddersfield Town and led them to promotion to the Premier League in 2017. He was praised for accomplishing safety in the 2017-18 but left the club in January2019 as the team was bottom of the table.

The game was a seesaw battle where RB Leipzig jumped out in front on a Christopher Nkunku goal in the 8th minute of the match, only for PSG to turn the tables with two goals from Georginio Wijnaldum in the 21st and 39th minute. Then a late penalty tied it all up when Dominik Szoboszlai scored in stoppage time in the 93rd minute.

The result leaves Jesse Marsch’s side bottom of the group with 1 point and fighting to qualify for the Europa League. PSG now sit second in back of Manchester City by one point. At the end of the match, which saw a lot of 50/50 calls go in favor of PSG, Jesse Marsch slammed referee Andreas Ekberg.

Jesse Marsch comments on referee Andreas Ekberg performance

Jesse Marsch told reporters at the end of the match that Andreas Ekberg seemed biased in his calls during the tight contest. “It’s hard to get respect from the refs. It seemed as if the referee wanted to get an autograph from Neymar.”

Marsch, who received a yellow card from Ekberg for protesting some of the calls the referee made during the first half also stated: “I have the impression that referees decide in favor of the big teams instead of the small ones.”

RB Leipzig is turning in one of their most disappointing Champions League performances in recent memory, a lot has to do with the team, which made the semifinals in 2019/2020, being sandwiched in a group with PSG and Manchester City. In the Bundesliga after a rough start RB Leipzig is unbeaten in 5 matches and sit in eighth place, fans have begun to take to Jesse Marsch who has coached in the Red Bull family since 2015 when he started with Red Bull New York then Red Bull Salzburg in Austria winning 4 titles, and is now at RB Leipzig, where he was briefly an assistant in 2018/2019.