USMNT vs. Canada: Why Rivalry Third-Place Match Means More for World Cup Hosts | OneFootball

Canada Soccer's men's soccer team knows the opportunity they missed.

When the U.S. men’s national team faltered against Panama on Thursday, Canada thought it was all lining up. Alas, they, too, crashed out, 2–0 to Mexico.

That despair wasn’t apparent once they returned to training. Under the guise of head coach Jesse Marsch, the group has refocused their sights on Sunday’s third-place clash with the USMNT.

“Our guys are excited about the challenge,” Marsch said.  “The disappointment of the game against Mexico is behind us. I think we know there are some things that we can do better, but overall, the performance was strong... we are a good team, and we’re going to continue to get better.”

While it’s not the stage either wanted, it’s undoubtedly the matchup. Two deep squads, two highly-regarded managers, two co-hosts of FIFA World Cup 2026 and two teams trying to save face after embarrassing losses.

Canada Soccer men's national team head coach Jesse Marsch sees every minute with his roster as crucial for building toward 2026 / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Canada beat the USMNT last time they met in September 2024, and they’ve each secured two wins and a draw through the previous five matchups. However, Sunday brings the added element of World Cup pressures, given that it may be one of the last times both have near full-strength squads in a competitive fixture before next summer’s tournament.

“Right now, this is about the team's progress and how do we continue to push our process,” Marsch added.

“Every single second we're together, there can't be disappointment, there can't be frustration, there can't be anger. There has to always be discipline and concentration when thinking about how to grow, how to get better, how to develop, and how to prepare ourselves for [the World Cup].”

Canada’s depth and search for goals vs USMNT

Canada's Jonathan David has not scored at the levels he hopes to with the national team / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Those moments have paid off for Marsch in the past. Last summer, he quickly instilled a tactical identity through intense sessions, culminating in a semifinal run at the Copa América.

This camp, though, has been focused on further establishing roles, gaining a Concacaf “savvy,” and discovering new players, all to elevate the CanMNT’s level heading into the Gold Cup and World Cup.

Against Mexico, the group was too caught up in aggressiveness, costing them in the earliest moments. It’s a poise so many of Canada’s opponents have had and something the team is still learning.

“We want to play the game fast,” Marsch said. “One of the things I say to the players a lot is we are very athletic, we have to always look like it, right? We can’t ever get caught in games where we don’t dictate the pace and the speed at which the game is played and the power in which the game is played.”

A key challenge to overcome is a lack of goals.

In 14 games under Marsch, Canada has scored just nine goals and has been shut out three times. Elite goalscoring play from Lille’s Jonathan David –– who scored nine goals in the UEFA Champions League this season –– hasn’t transferred over to the national team.

It’s not for talent, and the third-place match might just give them a perfect opportunity to try David with a new strike partner other than Cyle Larin, potentially turning to new dual national commitments in Premier League striker Daniel Jebbison or prolific Belgian league goalscorer, Promise David.

Marsch could also tip high-flying MLS forward Tani Oluwaseyi or look to play David alone up top. Other midfielders could even see elevated roles, including Mathieu Choiniere and Niko Sigur, in an effort to shut down the American transition.

“I do think about how to get certain guys going a little bit more. So certainly, we've brought in Promise David, Daniel Jebbison, and even Mathieu Choiniere and Niko Sigur, who we think highly of.” Marsch said.

“[We have] to be thinking about ‘Is this the kind of match that would set them up for success and introduce them into the team the right way, and now many of our other guys are ready so that we have a stable enough foundation for what we think this game is going to require.”

Canada vs. USA: A Rivalry with Added Tensions

Alistair Johnston has been outspoken about the geopolitical situation between Canada and the United States heading into Sunday's match. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Canada and Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston knows better than anyone just how critical any clash with the United States is right now, and it’s not so that he can have bragging rights on the flight back to Glasgow with American center-back Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Last month, Canada vs. USA hockey boiled over at the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, partly due to the natural rivalry but fuelled by political tensions as U.S. President Donald Trump has placed tariffs and threatened Canada’s sovereignty.

“There is some extra needle to this one and some extra bragging rights as well going back to the club, so I’d like to have one up on [Carter Vickers],” Johnston told OneSoccer.

“With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s something that has been on the agenda and our minds. We know the rivalry and what it means, but we also all know what the geopolitical situation is between our two countries.”

Marsch has tended to sidestep the topic at the tournament but spoke in-depth about it before the competition, addressing the President directly, saying: “Lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being a 51st state."

Before Sunday’s clash, he credited some American players with knowing the situation but not necessarily agreeing. Meanwhile, Pochettino, while not American himself, said, "It's a big mistake if we talk about politics because people [aren't] waiting for us to talk in this way.”

Since the fight-filled tensions of the 4 Nations Face-Off, many have gotten used to the political tensions between two traditional close allies. Although, the relationship isn’t what it once was, and Sunday’s match still has that added edge.

However, don’t expect Christian Pulisic to impersonate Trump’s dance, as he did in a November win over Jamaica. When pressed by a reporter about it, he said, “I don’t think so. "

Even with no trophy on the line on Sunday, there’s still immense importance to the match. It’s another 90 minutes to learn, a chance to save face and continue putting the pieces together for the matches that will define this generation, just over a year away.