Leeds United’s pre-season doesn’t officially begin until July 19. But a week early and 6,000 kilometres away from the proud soccer city of Yorkshire, England, those of a Leeds persuasion will be glued to events in Charlotte, N.C.
on Saturday night. at Bank of America Stadium will double as a referendum on the modern history of Leeds, a sleeping giant which rose to England’s Premier League only to fall again. The man who led the resurgence was He is beloved in Leeds and the surrounding area where the Argentine, already a legendary coaching influence in the game, embedded himself in the community as he built an exciting team that rose all the way to a ninth-place finish in the top tier.
Yet when things turned south and the team began to struggle, Bielsa and Leeds parted ways, to rescue the club from relegation in 2022. Marsch lasted just over a year before being fired, and Leeds would duly fall through the trap door last May. A quick scan of the feverish online spaces Leeds fans occupy gave a sense that Canada will have an English city as well as a South American country cheering against it in the fight for bronze.
Marsch’s clunky criticism of Bielsa soon after taking the Leeds reins — which he’d later call “careless” and apologize for — rankled with a fan base which adored the veteran. This is the beautiful game. Layers of unexpected intrigue and the unlikeliest captive audience for what is often seen, on paper at least, as a booby prize.
Yet neither of the men on the sidelines Saturday will see it as that. Much as there are wild contrasts between Marsch and Bielsa there are similarities, too, and their intensity for the next challenge right in front of them is shared. in New Jersey as the timeless class of world champion Argentina told, and some of the heroics that had got Marsch’s side into the final four in the first place caught up with his players: leggy, and just that crucial half-second off Lionel Messi and Co.
For starters, with almost seven million Canadians, 18 per cent of the country, tuning in to some part of the game. the run had won star-studded endorsement. Now they want to finish it on an even more positive note, with players including midfield tyro Ismaël Koné insisting this week that the bronze medal means plenty.
Don’t forget there’s an extra $1 million (U.S.) in prize money on the line, too.
“We want to inspire the nation,” Marsch said Wednesday, having had time to process the 2-0 loss the night before. “We want people to remember this as a moment in time that changed the trajectory of what this sport is in Canada. In order to be a real team that can hold up to the biggest moments and biggest matches, there’s more work to be done.
” That work continues against La Celeste, No. 14 in the world. Uruguay made its semifinal exit against Colombia in a game marred by involving Colombian fans, Uruguayan players and their families, who were allegedly being targeted by Colombians.
Two leading stars, striker Darwin Nuñez and midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, are likely facing length bans over the incident. Darwin Nunez was involved in a brawl with Colombia fans after Uruguay were knocked out of Copa America 🥊 Bielsa, one of soccer’s great philosophers, defended his players to the hilt Friday afternoon, lambasting Copa America organizers over a wide range of issues and pointing the finger at security arrangements in a scathing pre-match press conference. “We are in the United States: the country, in quotes, of security.
How can you not defend your mother, your sister, a baby?” he railed. “If (the players) didn’t do it, they would have been condemned by all of us.” If enforced changes are nonetheless coming for Uruguay, Marsch will opt to shuffle his own deck, too.
is carrying a knock and unlikely to play, teenager Luc de Fougerolles in line for a first start. Others such as Tani Oluwaseyi and Mathieu Choinière could also find hefty minutes. However, Marsch will eschew a full line change because this, ultimately, is another priceless test on the road to the 2026 World Cup.
Much as there has been rapid progress, glaring issues persist. Canada again piled up the shot count against Argentina, and again left with nothing to show for it. No Canada player has had more attempts at goal during the tournament than Jonathan David, with seven.
But only three of those have managed to find the target, with just a single goal to show for it. Converting chances must be close to the top of the priority list for Charlotte. For David, very much in the shop window with Europe’s leading clubs pondering a transfer, the timing couldn’t be better.
Alarm clocks set in Leeds, the battle for bronze could be compelling. The Uruguayans are clearly fired up, which means one last stern Copa test awaits Marsch and Canada..
