Canada men’s national team coach Jesse Marsch expressed outrage Friday, saying Vancouver Whitecaps players had been “poisoned” during their visit to Mexico for the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
The Whitecaps issued a statement Thursday saying about half of the 75 people who returned to Vancouver on the team’s charter plane after Sunday’s game had reported symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness.
Whitecaps players Ali Ahmed, Sam Adekugbe and Jayden Nelson missed training after arriving sick in the Canadian camp in Halifax ahead of Saturday’s game at Toronto’s BMO Field between Canada and Ukraine in the inaugural Canadian Shield tournament.
“They’re better now,” Marsch said before speaking at a Canada Ukraine Foundation breakfast Friday. “They’re probably not ready for 90-minute performances [Saturday]. But for me, it’s appalling that this is the second year in a row that CONCACAF and the powers that be have allowed an MLS team to go down to Mexico for a big final and get poisoned.
“It’s ridiculous. Something has to be done to protect these environments.”
The Columbus Crew also complained of stomach illness after their loss at Mexico’s CF Pachuca in last year’s Champions Cup final. Crew coach Wilfried Nancy confirmed afterwards that nearly the entire roster and coaching staff had been stricken by what the club believed to be food poisoning.
Marsch acknowledged he had no proof of poisoning but added, “It’s not random that two years in a row that this has happened.”
“If I were the Vancouver Whitecaps, if I was the Columbus Crew, if I was MLS, I would be angry. I would be absolutely angry that this had been allowed to happen,” he said.
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen said Friday that he doesn’t believe someone intentionally got his team sick.
“I don’t expect us to be deliberately poisoned or anything when we were down there. But I don’t know,” he said.
Marsch has experience of being at the receiving end of dark arts while visiting Mexico with the U.S. or a club team, citing fire alarms in the middle of the night and dancing and singing outside their hotel.
“And those are somewhat spirited, competitive advantages that are created when you go down to Mexico,” he said. “But poisoning the team is another version.”
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Marsch said his understanding was that the Whitecaps were suffering from food poisoning.
Vancouver arrived in Mexico City last Friday and were trounced 5-0 by Cruz Azul in Sunday’s final of CONCACAF’s elite club competition.
“Not only have we lost the game, also we have picked up some sort of a virus and are dealing with that right now,” Vancouver sporting director and CEO Axel Schuster told reporters Thursday.
Schuster said it was “unlikely” any of Vancouver’s players experienced symptoms during the game.
The club said in a statement Thursday that it is working with local health authorities and an infectious disease expert regarding the illness.
The Whitecaps cancelled a planned training session on Wednesday and held a modified individual session on Thursday for players who had been cleared by medical staff. Some players returned to the field for training on Friday, but left the session early, Sorensen said.
Vancouver is scheduled to host the Seattle Sounders on Sunday, but Sorensen said he can’t envision his team being ready for the game.
“I don’t want to risk our players. That’s the most important thing for me. The most important thing is the health and care for the players,” the coach said. “For now, it looks difficult for us to put up a team for a game that we should be able to compete in the MLS. But that’s just my opinion.”
When asked after training Friday, Marsch did not retreat from his comments.
“It’s obvious, you don’t run into two years and a final and MLS teams getting food poisoning,” he said. “I get it, why they can’t say anything. They’re not sure, and I’m not sure either. But this is too much of a coincidence. It’s a shame.”
CONCACAF declined to comment on Marsch’s assertion.
While the confederation takes total control of the Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League, it acts in more of a support role in the Champions Cup. It offers financial support and, if needed, logistical advice to teams competing in the club competition.
