Canada coach Jesse Marsch poised to play youth in Panama friendly

Jesse Marsch had a well-earned reputation of giving young players a chance during a club coaching career that saw him take charge of two teams in Major League Soccer, Austria’s FC Red Bull Salzburg, Bundesliga side RB Leipzig and English outfit Leeds United. 

Now, he’s looking to inject a bit more youth into the Canadian men’s team program, including during Tuesday’s international friendly vs. Panama at Toronto’s BMO Field. 

Marsch, a 50-year-old from Wisconsin, has invited three young players into their first national team camp, as former Canadian youth internationals Kwasi Poku, fellow forward Santiago López and defender Jamie Knight-Lebel are part of his 24-man roster for the match against the Panamanians. 

Poku, 21, has four appearances under his belt for Canada’s under-20 team, and played in every match at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship where Canada bowed out in the round of 16. López, a 19-year-old born in Mexico, has also played for Canada’s under-20 team and finished as the joint top scorer at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship. He played for Mexican youth national teams before switching to Canada. Knight-Lebel, a 19-year-old from Montreal, featured for Canada at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship.  

In total, 15 of the players on this latest Canadian squad are 25 or younger, including defender Zorhan Bassong (25), whose only two appearances for Canada came in a pair of friendlies in January 2020 under former coach John Herdman. 

Earlier this year, midfielders Niko Sigur (21) and Nathan Saliba (20), and forwards Tani Oluwaseyi (24) Stephen Afrifa (23) all earned their first caps for Canada under Marsch. 

This is all part of Marsch’s master plan ahead of 2026 when Canada will co-host the FIFA World Cup. The idea is to expand the player pool with younger players, thus giving himself more options and improving Canada’s chances of being a competitive force at its home World Cup. 

“I’ve spoken about broadening the player pool. The best way for me to do that is to introduce more people, put them under the pressures we create, and see how they respond and if they can go back to their clubs and take their games to a higher level,” Marsch explained. 

“I have to continue to get to know each one of them intimately, to understand how they fit. I’m trying to build a picture of what each player can potentially look like in two years and what he needs to be at his best in 2026 so that we as a team can be the best. That’s the job to have that vision and to make sure we’re building toward that in all the right ways.” 

One player in particular that Marsch will want to find out more about is Poku, a native of Brampton, Ont., who recently transferred from Canadian Premier League champions Forge FC to R.W.D. Molenbeek of Belgium’s second division. 

Poku played mostly as a left fullback during his tenure with Forge, but this season coach Bobby Smyrniotis converted him into a striker. The youngster responded with a breakout campaign, scoring 10 goals and tallying two assists in all competitions for the reigning two-time CPL champions.  

Marsch attended a few CPL games in person and saw first-hand what Poku could do. He impressed the Canadian coach enough to earn his first national team call-up this month and if all goes to plan, he could make his debut for Canada on Tuesday vs. Panama. 

“I don't think Jesse just cares about his team right now. I think he cares about his team in the long-term. And that's just a testament to Jesse and how focused he is on the future of Canadian soccer. He has a project in mind for Canadian soccer, and I think that's exactly what we needed, someone with a vision and someone with ambition,” Poku told Sportsnet. 

It’s not only uncapped prospects that Marsch has afforded opportunities. He’s also showing his trust in players who’ve previously been on the outer fringes of the national team. 

Derek Cornelius (26) and Moïse Bombito (24) were handed their international debuts by Herdman but neither one figured into his long-term plans. Under Marsch, they’ve become his first-choice centre back pairing, anchoring Canada’s back line in the middle of defence.  

Likewise, midfielder Mathieu Choinière (25) only had five appearances for Canada prior to September's international window. Yet, Marsch trusted him enough to give him starts against the United States and Mexico last month.  

Choinière was impressive on both sides of the ball, winning back possession for Canada in dangerous areas on the pitch, getting forward in support of the attack, and helping out Stephen Eustáquio to keep things locked down in central midfield.  

With Ismaël Koné still out injured, Choinière will likely have another chance on Tuesday to build upon his budding relationship with Eustáquio in the middle of the park. If he can continue to impress, he might give Marsch something to think about in terms of making him Eustáquio's full-time midfield partner.   

Choinière recently transferred to Swiss club Grasshopper Zürich after a protracted contract standoff with CF Montreal. Marsch believes playing in Europe allows Choinière to further develop his game, which will benefit both the midfielder and the Canadian men’s team in the long run. 

“The move for Mathieu Choinière has worked in two ways. Mathieu lands in a great opportunity for him to continue his career path, obviously scoring a goal in his first match and making a big impact and a really good performance,” Marsch offered. 

“I think culturally, football-wise, personal experience, every way, this is going to be a fantastic move for him. .... I think this is a really good fit for him."

Canada is 38th in the current FIFA world rankings, one spot below Panama. They were the only Concacaf nations to advance to the knockout round of this summer’s Copa América – Canada finished fourth, while Panama reached the quarter-finals.  

The previous meeting between the teams saw Canada defeat Panama 2-0 in Las Vegas last June in the semifinals of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League. The Canadians are 5-2-6 all-time vs. Panama. 

Marsch is using this October window as preparation for next month’s two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against an opponent that is still to be determined.