The Concacaf Nations League semifinals are here, with the U.S. men’s national team’s match against Panama starting Thursday, followed by Canada taking on Mexico. Coaches Mauricio Pochettino of the USMNT and Jesse Marsch of Canada steer clear of political topics during press conferences ahead of the matches.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S. Eastern
Wednesday, March 19
- 🇪🇺 UWCL: Wolfsburg vs. Barcelona, 1:45 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
- 🇪🇺 UWCL: Manchester City vs. Chelsea, 4 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
Thursday, March 20
- 🇪🇺 UNL: Netherlands vs. Spain, 3:45 p.m. ➡️ FS1
- 🌎 CNL: USMNT vs. Panama, 7 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
- 🌎 WCQ: Brazil vs. Colombia, 8:45 p.m. ➡️ Fubo
- 🌎 CNL: Canada vs. Mexico, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
❌ Coaches stick to soccer at CNL Finals
The geopolitical landscape of the United States took center stage at a recent pre-match press conference, where both Pochettino and Marsch stated that their teams would not use political issues as motivation. Pochettino emphasized, “I think motivation cannot be from different political problems. Players cannot be involved in there. We need to play for us.”
Marsch acknowledged the awareness of his players about the tensions but maintained their focus should remain on soccer.
These sentiments manifest among both coaches as they prepare for what they hope will be a successful showing in the Nations League.
🔗 Midfield Link Play
Thursday’s semifinal against Panama represents a significant milestone for the USMNT, akin to a rehearsal for their opening game of the 2026 World Cup, also at SoFi Stadium. With key players like Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna returning, the focus remains on building the right team dynamic for the anticipated tournament.
