Jesse Marsch claims USMNT players reluctant to sing national anthem; Clint Dempsey fires back

Jesse Marsch, the first American to manage Canada's men's national team, sparked controversy Thursday when he told reporters that during his time as a USMNT assistant coach from 2010 to 2011 — a stint that included the World Cup in South Africa alongside players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, and Tim Howard — staff sometimes had to 'beg' players to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. By contrast, Marsch praised his Canadian players for belting out their anthem 'to the top of their lungs,' describing a squad he said is deeply bonded and proud to represent Canada at a home World Cup. Dempsey, appearing as an analyst for Fox Sports before Canada's opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina — which ended 1-1 — pushed back forcefully, saying he had bled and sacrificed for his country and would not take criticism from someone 'who switched to the other side.' Marsch's remarks carry added weight given his complicated history with US Soccer: he was considered a frontrunner for the USMNT head coaching job after the 2022 World Cup but was passed over when the federation rehired Gregg Berhalter, a decision Marsch has described as leaving him 'devastated and angry.' Despite that bitterness, Marsch said this week he still wants the US to do well, though he would prefer Canada to be 'the last one standing.' Canada, ranked 30th in the world, faces Qatar and Switzerland in the remainder of their Group B schedule, while the US opened their tournament against Paraguay in Los Angeles under new coach Mauricio Pochettino.