CONCACAF Disciplinary Committee hands Canada coach Jesse Marsch a two-game ban

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch reacts during the first half of a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal soccer match against Mexico on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

CONCACAF has handed Canada coach Jesse Marsch a two-game ban resulting from his ejection during the third-place game against the U.S. last month at the CONCACAF Nations League.

In addition to the automatic one-game ban for the red card, Marsch was given another game by the CONCACAF Disciplinary Committee “for unacceptable conduct towards the match officials and for delaying the restart of the match by refusing to leave the field of play.”

The ban means Marsch will have to sit out the first two games of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, scheduled for June 14 to July 6. A Canada Soccer spokesman confirmed that assistant coach Mauro Biello will run the sideline in Marsch’s absence.

The Disciplinary Committee also warned Canada Soccer and Marsch “that more severe sanctions could be taken should incidents occur during future matches.”

Canada Soccer disputed the disciplinary finding.

“We are frustrated by, and strongly disagree, with today’s decision to add an extra game to Jesse Marsch’s suspension. We are reviewing the matter further and communicating with CONCACAF,” it said in a statement.

Marsch was sent off in the 54th minute of Canada’s 2-1 win over the U.S. on March 23 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., for protesting the lack of a penalty call by Mexican referee Katia Garcia.

Marsch, still smarting over a missed penalty in the 2-0 semifinal loss to Mexico when Mexican captain Edson Alvarez got a piece of Derek Cornelius in the Mexican penalty box, saw red after Garcia waved play on after Jonathan David hit the turf for the second time in the U.S. penalty box.

Replays seemed to show David lost his footing as he attempted a quick turn to evade defender Max Arfsten. David had also gone down minutes earlier in the U.S. box under pressure from Tyler Adams with Garcia waving play on.

“I said this a little bit the day before the (third-place) match, the players made it clear to me that we needed to stand up for ourselves,” Marsh said at the time. “Obviously I was disappointed with the referee (Honduran Hector Martinez) in the match against Mexico. But they were angry. There’s a difference between disappointment and anger. And they were very clear that they think that we need to do something.”

“The only miscalculation I made was I should have had that reaction for the first penalty. Because the second one wasn’t a penalty,” he added.

Marsch reckons he had received four or five red cards previously in his managerial career — and two as a player.

Next up is the June 7-10 Canadian Shield tournament in Toronto where No. 30 Canada will face No. 25 Ukraine and the 41st-ranked Ivory Coast. Given those games are friendlies, Marsch does not have to serve the ban until the official competition at the Gold Cup.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2025.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press