The role of national team head coach requires a particular set of skills.
Jesse Marsch, the multi-faceted leader of the Canadian men’s soccer side, has a special knack for diplomacy: He’s excelled at convincing dual nationals — players who can represent more than one country — to play for him, and so for Canada.
His latest converts, forwards Daniel Jebbison and Promise David, could make their Canadian debuts at this week’s CONCACAF Nations League Finals.
“I think both of these two are big talents,” Marsch said. “Now when you look at our overall depth of attacking options… I think this is the strongest that the Canadian national team has ever looked.”
On Thursday, 31st-ranked Canada will play Mexico in one semifinal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, after the United States and Panama meet in the other. The final and third-place game will take place Sunday.
Jebbison, who plays for Bournemouth of the English Premier League, and David, who has enjoyed a breakout campaign for Belgium’s Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, will provide first-rate cover for forwards Jonathan David and Cyle Larin.
The newcomers will also be tested by their national-team introduction. Favoured Mexico, ranked 19th, will have a frenzied, 70,000-strong crowd heavily in their favour.
“I’ll be fine,” David said this week from equally sunny Los Angeles.
He scored a penalty away against Dutch giants Ajax in Europa League action last month. “When I put that ball down on the spot, it was the loudest thing I’ve heard. It was a great feeling. I can’t wait to do it again.”
He might next do it for Canada. “It was always part of my plan,” he said.
FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, has slowly codified what it means to be a national, trying to prevent countries like Qatar from naturalizing a team of ringers. Players need to demonstrate a “clear connection” to a country through birth, the nationalities of their parents or grandparents, or long-term residency.
That still leaves plenty of players with a choice to make. Jebbison and David were born in Oakville and Brampton, Ont., respectively, making their Canadian bona fides easy to prove. But both previously represented other countries.
The 21-year-old Jebbison, whose mother is English, made 13 appearances for England’s youth teams. David played twice for the U23s in Nigeria, his family’s country of origin.
Because neither had been capped by senior sides, they still had time to make the switch to Canada. Jebbison left things a little late; he was made eligible for this week’s games only after his paperwork came through with 24 hours to spare.
“I kept my options open,” he said. “For me, the reason it’s Canada now: We’re such a young, crazy athletic team. This is the fastest team I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m also young, I’m also fast, I’m also athletic. There’s a co-relation there. Imagine us in our prime.”
The bulk of Jebbison’s development came at Sheffield United before his move to Bournemouth last year. He’s still finding his feet at the game’s highest level, having begun the season on loan to Watford and coming on only as a last-minute substitute for the Cherries last weekend.
Sometimes national-team success can accelerate a club career, however, and Jebbison is eager to give Marsch a quick return.
“I’m here. I’m Canadian. I’m going to help this team, it’s as simple as that. I can’t wait to show you what I can do.”
David has endured a far more circuitous journey to the national side. His club career has included stops in Croatia, the U.S., Malta, Estonia, and now Belgium, where his confidence has finally caught up with his size. He’s scored 11 goals in 24 appearances with RUSG this season.
“I didn’t take the conventional route,” he said. “I walked into a casino and gambled on myself.”
Now he’s won the chance to wear the maple leaf — “my family and friends are telling me I look good in red,” he said with a huge smile — in a meaningful game.
It’s the fourth time the CONCACAF Nations League tournament has been held. The Americans claimed the first three trophies; Canada’s best finish was second in 2023, after a 2-0 loss in the final.
A rematch in this year’s final would bring some serious fireworks, especially after the Wisconsin-born Marsch told U.S. President Donald Trump to “lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state” last month.
The coach has since made more fruitful pitches to Daniel Jebbison and Promise David. He’s made two more men proud to call themselves Canadian.
New Canada Shield tournament in June
Canada will play Ukraine and the Ivory Coast in June at Toronto’s BMO Field in a new four-team men’s soccer tournament called the Canadian Shield. New Zealand is the other team taking part in the event, which consists of doubleheaders June 7 and June 10.
Canada will open the tournament June 7 against Ukraine, with New Zealand taking on the Ivory Coast in the nightcap. On June 10, it’s New Zealand versus Ukraine followed by Canada versus the Ivory Coast.
