'Stay in your lane' - Premier League great slams Canada boss Jesse Marsch during live World Cup broadcast

Clint Dempsey has hit back at Canada coach Jesse Marsch after he claimed that American players had to be begged to sing the national anthem before matches.

Earlier in the week, Marsch praised the passion of the Canadian national side and compared them to his own experience with the USMNT. The 52-year-old was an assistant for the United States under former coach Bob Bradley between 2010 and 2011, which included the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Marsch, who was twice capped by the US, became the first American to manage Canada when he was appointed two years ago. Canada came from behind to draw 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup opener, while the United States thrashed Paraguay with a convincing 4-1 win.

“In the US, sometimes we had to beg players to sing the national anthem,” Marsch said in his pre-match press conference. “These guys belt it out to the top of their lungs because they want to show the country how proud they are to be here, to be Canadians and to represent what Canada is.”

Those comments enraged Dempsey, who played for the United States at the 2010 World Cup when Marsch was the assistant coach. Working as an analyst for Fox Sports, he didn't hold back in his criticism of the Canada national coach.

“He really said that?” Dempsey said ahead of Canada's opening draw. “Man, I can’t take this guy too seriously. It was an honour for me growing up and represent my country. When the national anthem happened, I wasn’t someone who normally would sing. I put my hand over my heart, and I’d pray to the good man upstairs. I’m someone who’s bled for this country. I broke my nose playing for this country. I’ve come back from two heart procedures and played for this country.

“I’m not going to take advice from someone who switched to the other side and is singing another country’s national anthem. And as my boy [Thierry Henry] would say, stay in your own lane. It looks like he’s in a dang moped, so worry about your own team.”

If things had worked out differently, Marsch might well have been in charge of the United States this summer instead. The former Leeds United boss was considered a frontrunner for the position when Gregg Berhalter’s contract as USMNT coach expired after the 2022 World Cup.

However, the US decided to rehire Berhalter, who was later sacked in July 2024 when the USMNT failed to get out of the groups at the Copa America. US Soccer replaced him with former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, while Marsch took the Canada role.