Clint Dempsey Rips Jesse Marsch for Comments About U.S. Players Not Singing During Anthem

United States soccer legend Clint Dempsey pushed back on former assistant coach Jesse Marsch's assessment about the players' level of engagement with the national anthem prior to games.

Dempsey blasted Marsch on the Fox pregame show prior to Team USA's 4-1 win over Paraguay, saying he "can't take that guy too seriously" and explained his approach during the anthem was to hold his hand over his heart rather than sing.

"Man, I can't take this guy too seriously," Dempsey said. "It was an honor 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 singing another country's national anthem. And as my boy Titi [Thierry Henry] would say, stay in your own lane. It looks like he's in a dang moped, so worry about your own team."

Marsch, who currently serves as head coach of the Canadian national team, compared the Canada squad to the U.S. team he worked with by saying on Thursday they had to "beg" American players to sing the anthem before kickoff:

"Every one of these boys is incredibly Canadian. And the pride that they have in putting on the jersey, representing the country, hearing the national anthem. ... In the U.S., sometimes we had to beg players to sing the national anthem. These guys [the Canadian players] sing the national anthem, 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."

Marsch and Dempsey briefly overlapped on the U.S. team during their careers. Marsch only appeared in two games for Team USA from 2001 to '07.

After retiring as a player, Marsch joined the U.S. coaching staff as an assistant under then-head coach Bob Bradley. He remained with the team through July 2011, including the 2010 World Cup that saw the United States reach the Round of 16 with Dempsey serving as one of the top players on the squad.

Marsch has had a contentious relationship with U.S. soccer since 2023 when he was vying for the head coaching job after Gregg Berhalter's contract expired.

In an interview with GiveMeSport earlier this year (h/t ESPN's Jeff Carlisle), Marsch said he walked away from a handshake agreement to become manager of Leicester City because he was operating under the impression that the U.S. job was going to be his.

"I got a call from U.S. Soccer when I was literally being fingerprinted [for a visa] at Leicester," said Marsch. "I was ready to take that job, so it changed the trajectory of my life. I think things happen for a reason, and I'm happy with where I am right now."

Berhalter was eventually rehired in June 2023 with the intent of coaching through the 2026 World Cup, but he was fired one year later after the U.S. failed to advance out of the group stage in the 2024 Copa America tournament.

Mauricio Pochettino was hired as Berhalter's replacement in August 2024. Marsch, meanwhile, took over the Canadian squad in May 2024.

Canada started its World Cup run with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday. Team USA earned a 4-1 victory over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on Friday.