CONCACAF Nations League coaches hope this week tournament has no political undertones

United States coach Mauricio Pochettino

The coaches of the four teams playing for the CONCACAF Nations League title this week think soccer should remain separate from the geopolitical events currently roiling relations among their nations.

Speaking two days before the tournament’s semifinal matches at SoFi Stadium, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and Canada counterpart Jesse Marsch yesterday [Macau time] downplayed the political impact on the latest major international sporting competition to be staged amid President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policies, including his tariff war with Mexico and Canada.

“I think we can’t mix political things with sport,” Pochettino said. “It’s not because I don’t want to talk. I have my ideas. But I represent the federation, and I (don’t) want to talk about politics.”

The U.S. faces Panama in the first Nations League semifinal match on Thursday before Canada takes on Mexico in the nightcap. The championship match is Sunday night.

“I’m not going to get political right now,” said Marsch, a Wisconsin native. “I think I’ve made my statements clear and known. I will say that I do think from watching the 4 Nations in hockey, you can see that the climate for sports in North America has been elevated for national teams. I’m really hopeful that this tournament can be the best reflections of our societies, in that we don’t have to waste time booing anthems and getting caught up in politics, and we can just focus on the players and the teams and supporting the love of the game, and then whatever your nationality is, that you can support your team all the way.”

That political tension was a recurring theme last month in hockey’s 4 Nations Face-Off, where Montreal fans loudly booed the U.S. national anthem. The Canadian team furiously rallied to win the title amid nationalist fervor from both North American powers.

Marsch already spoke extensively last month about the tensions between his home country and Canada.

At a news conference to promote this week’s games, Marsch called for the U.S. to “lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being a 51st state,” calling it “unsettling and frankly insulting.”

“As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies,” Marsch added.

Marsch said last month that he expected the geopolitical tensions to fuel his team with national pride. He didn’t go that far, but acknowledged he had exchanged thoughts with Jon Cooper, Canada’s coach at the 4 Nations and two-time Stanley Cup winner.

“I haven’t overemphasized this whole political scene, but what I have said is that we know that there’s a charged atmosphere around what these international games mean,” Marsch said.

Marsch also confirmed he meant every word he said last month.

Pochettino, the famed Argentine coach, took over the U.S. program only six months ago after stints at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He called it “a big mistake” to put politics at the forefront of sports.

“People are not waiting for us to talk in this way,” Pochettino said. “It doesn’t mean I don’t have my values and my vision of the situation.”

Thomas Christiansen, the coach of Panama’s national team since 2020, is from Denmark, where boycotts of American products are strong and growing amid Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, a Danish territory.

Two weeks ago, Panama reacted with outrage after Trump claimed the U.S. was “reclaiming” the Panama Canal because an American company bought controlling interest in a Chinese company that operates the canal’s ports.

Yet Christiansen said he won’t be using anything from the precarious political world to inspire his team when it faces the favored U.S. squad.

“It’s not a plan of motivation, talking about politics,” Christiansen said. “It’s not my area. I prefer to leave it behind. … Politics, it’s not my thing.” GREG BEACHAM, INGLEWOOD (Calif.), MDT/AP