The American Jesse Marsch, coach of the Canadian national team, expressed his disappointment at his country's early exit from the Copa America 2021 football tournament, currently being held in the United States.

The United States national team exited the tournament early from the group stage, finishing third in Group C, which included the teams from Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia.

Marsch, who is set to lead Canada against Venezuela in the quarter-finals of the competition, did not show happiness in light of the elimination of coach Gregg Berhalter's team.

Marsch stated at a press conference held early Friday morning, "I would like to say I’m only focused on what we’re doing here in Canada, but it’s clear that I care about the U.S. team just as I always do. I feel sad like you do."

The Canadian national team coach explained, "I feel disappointed due to the performance and lack of discipline. There are many things that I think we tried to embody about the game in the United States, and we have always believed in this group of players."

Marsch added, "I'm not there every day, so I'm not aware of the details of what's happening, but this is certainly not what we expected in this tournament."

Marsch has led Canada, which is participating in the Copa America for the first time, to qualify for the quarter-finals of the oldest and most prestigious national team tournament in the world, after finishing second in Group A, which included Argentina (the world champion and defending titleholder), Peru, and Chile.

Canada is preparing to face its Venezuelan counterpart, which qualified for the knockout stage after finishing top of Group B, which included teams from Mexico, Jamaica, and Ecuador, achieving a perfect score after winning all three of its matches in the first round, a first in the team's history.

At the same time, calls have increased in the United States demanding Berhalter either resign or be dismissed following the unexpected exit from the group stage of Copa America 2024.