Concacaf Clears Canada Coach Marsch, Fines Federation for Gold Cup Violations

Canada men's national soccer team head coach Jesse Marsch has been cleared of any wrongdoing by Concacaf following an investigation into alleged offensive language toward officials and breaches of competition rules during the Gold Cup match against Honduras. Although Marsch was suspended for the first two Gold Cup matches due to a red card received in a previous Nations League match, Concacaf found no clear evidence he violated rules regarding suspended officials during the tournament. Canada Soccer, however, was fined an undisclosed amount for breaching security protocols for accredited officials and failing to comply with anti-doping procedures related to the halftime doping control draw. Marsch observed the 6-0 victory over Honduras from a suite, which was the source of some confusion but ultimately not deemed a violation by the disciplinary committee. The Canadian federation cooperated fully with the investigation, and Marsch is now eligible to return to the sidelines for Canada’s final Group B match against El Salvador. Canada currently leads Group B and aims to secure a quarterfinal berth with a strong finish in the group stage.