Marsch: Canada Going for Win Against Switzerland, Not Just a Point

Canada can clinch group b with draw, but Marsch wants win over Swiss

Jesse Marsch targets Canada Win over Switzerland to keep Vancouver advantage.

Steve Nash message spurs Canada as Marsch chases Vancouver knockout berth...

Canada coach Jesse Marsch wants a win against Switzerland in Wednesday’s last Group B match so his team can stay in Vancouver for the round of 32.

Sitting top of the group with four points, Canada will clinch first place as long as they don’t lose to the Swiss. That result would also give them a longer break before their first knockout game in Vancouver on July 2.

“Staying here in Vancouver is definitely our ‌number one goal,” Marsch told a news conference on Tuesday.

"When I ‌took the job, as soon as the format of the tournament, as soon as I found that out, I said, okay, we have a clear objective, we want ‌to win the group. Two years ago, everybody ⁠thought I was crazy, right? That ‌prospect at the time wouldn't be possible, but this is where I expected us to be.

“When we drew Switzerland, we thought, okay, let's position ourselves to make sure that we are competing for our goal to stay in Vancouver in that last match, and so we're here, and we're going to be ready for it.”

Going for all three

Even though a draw would secure top spot against Switzerland, Marsch said Canada will head onto the pitch at BC Place looking to win the game.

“I feel like the worst way to get the draw is to play for a draw. I think you have ‌to go into the match and play for a win, and then in the later stages of the match you can use your substitutes and you can use tactics to now manage what you need out of the match.

“So manage the result is how I say it, so I think that we were going to start this match, going into it with the mentality and the tactics to win.”

Marsch said he got former NBA star and soccer fan Steve Nash to send a message to the Canada squad.

“One of the things that Steve spoke about was the combination of tension ‌and freedom, and the tension is about the discipline and the focus and the concentration to stick to the plan and to know what makes us who we are and what we are,” Marsch said.

“The freedom was to go out and play and believe in ⁠ourselves and to go after the ⁠game, and always that show (of) ‌confidence and self-belief. I really love the message.”