Jesse Marsch

So, you know, without trying to put pressure on him, like, you know, I really believe in Alphonso.

And so we're taking it day by day.

We're really trying to monitor where we are with everyone, but specifically Alphonso.

He's shown to be a quick healer over the years.

We obviously know what an incredible athlete he is.

So I'm not counting him out of anything.

You know, we obviously want to get him back, and we want to get him back at his top form, and we don't want to risk, you know, setbacks.

But, you know, I know the kind of competitor Alfonso is, and I know the kind of athlete.

So, you know, he's going to play in this tournament.

You know, I mean, you guys know this.

When you're around the best players, they have a different kind of aura.

When they step into the room, there's an energy shift.

And so the minute that Alphonso ever walks into this team, and especially the fact that we haven't seen him a while, the impact on the rest of the team, the confidence they feel, the desire they feel to make sure they can give him a chance to play in this tournament, right?

Like, all of a sudden, everything sort of shifts.

And you start to feel like greatness.

And so how lucky are we at Canada to have a player like that, first of all?

And then I think that his overall positivity, the smile on his face, the energy that he exudes every time he's around, how much he loves playing for the national team has a big impact on the overall group.

Yeah, no, look, I think the last World Cup, it was almost an anomaly.

Like, the team did so well to qualify for the World Cup, but it was new for everyone.

And, I mean, you're talking about the federation, the coaching staff, the players, everyone.