Canada's historic World Cup journey concluded Saturday with a 3-0 defeat to Morocco in the Round of 16. Despite the scoreline, Coach Jesse Marsch voiced immense pride in his team's performance.
Marsch stated the team, which earned its first World Cup point, victory, and knockout-stage win during the tournament, dominated stretches of the match against the seventh-ranked Moroccans. He lamented missed chances and the absence of key player Alphonso Davies.
"I'm very proud to be the Canadian national team coach, and as proud as I am, I'm even more proud of the way our boys played today," Marsch said.
Davies missed the match due to a hamstring injury. "We want players on the pitch that are 100 per cent to play the game, I wasn't there yet," Davies explained. Marsch confirmed the decision to rest the Bayern Munich player was to preserve his long-term career.
The coach emphasized the tournament as a foundation for the future. He challenged the squad and Canadian soccer to maintain the standard established, focusing on consistency and developing a national playing identity.
"It is a privilege to have now a Canadian national team competing at levels that had never been dreamed of 10 years ago," Marsch concluded. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed pride in the team's run.