Marsch dismisses critics of on-field speech: 'I don't give a shit'

Jesse Marsch isn't worried about the haters.

Canada's boisterous head coach delivered a rousing on-field address to his players following Sunday's 1-0 win over South Africa in the round of 32. The speech was captured live on the World Cup broadcast.

Some pundits criticized Marsch, with the likes of Peter Schmeichel (Fox Sports) and Troy Deeney (CBS Sports) questioning whether the 52-year-old was being overly performative in the knowledge that cameras were capturing the moment.

Marsch, who called his players "Canadian heroes" in the on-field huddle, dismissed his detractors.

"Look, people like to say it's performative to meet on the pitch, and frankly, I don't give a shit what people have to say," he told reporters during a post-match press conference, according to 680 NewsRadio's Alex Seixeiro. "All I care about is our own team and what we do together. In these moments, it's hard because after the game, everyone gets pulled in a million different directions by media, and you don't really have a chance to be with your team unless you take that moment right there. ...

"I always try to get the leaders to speak - because they're Canadian, this is their national team. But I wanted to be able to voice to them how important a moment this will prove to be for the sport, and the country, for the national team program."

For viewers in Canada only:

For viewers in U.S. only:

The victory, secured via a 92nd-minute goal from midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, gave Canada's men's team its first-ever World Cup knockout win and a signature moment for a program that's long been seeking one.

Marsch kissed the Canadian badge on his shirt while celebrating the historic win.

"I am American, and I'm proud to be American, but I do think that the ideals and the characteristics of Canadian people fit me really well," Marsch added after Sunday's match, according to Paul Tenorio of The Athletic.

"They value kindness. They value generosity. It's a country that is welcoming to outsiders, appreciates you for the things you do more than the things you say. And sometimes I know that Americans, we get a certain rap for being boisterous, for being arrogant, for being outwardly vocal. And I know that, in many ways, that does describe me - or at least people love to describe me that way."