CanMNT Buzz

📋| Jamie Knight-Lebel and Junior Hoilett start for Swindon Town vs Walsall in League Two action! The match is on NOW! 🇨🇦 #CanMNT

🗣️| #CanMNT head coach Jesse Marsch on the 2026 FIFA World Cup: “We want to win the group. For a country that has never won a World Cup game or even a point, that is a crazy statement, but I think, internally, our expectations are that at home we can be the aggressor against whoever we play, and that we can win the group. “That's no disrespect to any of our opponents. That was our aim before the group was drawn, and it is still the same after the draw. And one of the motivations for winning the group is that we get to stay in Canada. If we take second or third place then we have to go to the US [for the knockout stage]. “Of course, it is not the easiest draw for us. I was giving a hard time to [Mauricio] Pochettino by saying he had such an easy draw. “I think that it will be a test for us. Each opponent presents different kinds of challenges.” [@JacobsBen, @GiveMeSport (Published March 19)]

🗣️| Kristian Jack on #CanMNT pathway at the World Cup - win the group or go for second: “That for me is the dream (winning the group). A fifth game at a World Cup is an absolute dream. The key for me is to get to a fourth and see what you can do. “So if you tell me that staying in Vancouver helps them get to the fifth game, then I'll be with you, but that path that you alluded to isn't as difficult. “So if you finish second and play Group A runner-up, if that's the key that gets you that fifth game, I don't care whether it's in Vancouver, Inglewood, Kansas City… If they get to the last 16 of a World Cup, that's all that matters. “It’s not about where they play it. Of course, the preference is Vancouver, amazing, the dream, but it's about what is the pathway to get to game five in a World Cup. “Of course (playing in Vancouver would give Canada a qualitative advantage), and you get to play a third place team. “I just don't think that this group with Switzerland in it should be underestimated to say ‘we have to win the group’. Canada are a good side, but they've never won a World Cup match. “So for us to suddenly say they have to win that group or it's not a success, for me it's about navigating your way through the group, getting to the knockout stage and winning that game.” [@onesoccer] 🇨🇦

🗣️| #CanMNT head coach Jesse Marsch on Marcelo Flores: “In the two games (vs Iceland & Tunisia) in this window, Marcelo was one of the bright spots for sure. “We’re really excited about the possibility of what he can mean to the team. “Even more so, to have another weapon that’s a little bit different and maybe we can use in a different way for different types of moments and different types of opponents. “So yeah, really happy with him and really excited that he's part of our program.” [via @onesoccer] 🇨🇦

@dlicps Thank you! I appreciate that. 🤝

Just want to give a shoutout to this account as they seem to really know how to aggregate CanMNT news 🇨🇦🙌

@CCanmnt86101 Ahh. I missed that. Thank you!

@CANMNTBuzz @TSNScianitti He confirmed on his Instagram story that it was just a cramp and he is okay

🗣️| Celtic manager Martin O’Neill says Alistar Johnston has a “fairly good chance” to play for Celtic before the end of the season in the Scottish Premiership. [via TSN] #CanMNT

🗣️| Celtic manager Martin O’Neill on Alistair Johnston: “He went away with the Canadian national side, was doing some running and had a bit of a setback on his final day of training, which was really disconcerting for us.” [via TSN] #CanMNT

🗞️| Alistair Johnston has suffered another setback in his recovery from a right hamstring injury. Johnston suffered the setback on his final day of training with #CanMNT during the international break. [via TSN]