HOUSTON - Canada coach Jesse Marsch is downplaying a CONCACAF investigation into his actions during the Canadian men's opening game at the Gold Cup.

"I think it's a much bigger deal in the media than it is internally," Marsch, flanked by defender Richie Laryea, told reporters ahead of Saturday's game against No. 90 Curaçao at Shell Energy Stadium.

Noting the disciplinary process was ongoing, Marsch said he didn't want to take the focus away from the team and the tournament.

Saturday's contest marks the end of Marsch's two-game ban arising from a red card during the CONCACAF Nations League third-place game in March. But the coach remains in the spotlight, facing more disciplinary action initiated by CONCACAF after 30th-ranked Canada's 6-0 win over No. 75 Honduras on Tuesday in Vancouver.

CONCACAF said its Disciplinary Committee is reviewing whether Canada and Marsch did not follow regulations involving suspended officials and whether offensive language was used toward CONCACAF match officials.

The CONCACAF investigation reportedly focuses on where Marsch watched the game and language used when he was asked to move.

TV showed Marsch in a B.C. Place Stadium suite, taking notes and watching, with a laptop in front of him, alongside other Canadian team officials. Assistant coach Mauro Biello ran the sideline in his absence.

Marsch said his players are in a good place.

"I said to them that they don't need me on the bench right now, they're clear," said Marsch. "The Honduras game, I think proved that."

Laryea said the team is "focused on playing."

"I don't think this is going to do anything to the group," he added. "I think we've been built up pretty well to know that there will be adversity at times and we know how to deal with it. So this is just another bump in the road for us that we're going to get by."

Curaçao, which recorded its best performance at the Gold Cup in 2019 when it made the quarterfinals, played No. 81 El Salvador to a scoreless draw in its Group B opener Tuesday in San Jose.

The Curaçao side draws on players with club teams in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Indonesia, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the U.S.

"They're a team that's very technical, and can play some good football, a lot of them having Dutch backgrounds," said Marsch. "I think the coach (Dick Advocaat) has done an amazing job with being very clear on who they are and what they are. They're an experienced team as well so it will take another complete performance from us to be able to manage this game and this opponent."

"We're excited for the challenge," he added.

Canadian centre back Derek Cornelius, still dealing with a lower-body injury, will not be ready Saturday. But fellow defender Alistair Johnston and midfielder Ismael Kone, who both arrived in camp late, will be available.

Canada won all three previous meetings with Curaçao, including a 2-0 decision the last time they met in CONCACAF Nations League play in March 2023. That game was Canada's first after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 18th edition of the CONCACAF championship runs to July 6.

Mexico, Canada, Panama and the U.S., as the top teams in the CONCACAF rankings, were seeded and kept apart in different groups. No. 58 Saudi Arabia is the lone guest team in the 16-country field.

After round-robin play, the four group winners and four runners-up move on to the knockout stage, with quarterfinals scheduled for June 28-29, followed by the semifinals July 2 and final July 6 at Houston's NRG Stadium.

Should Canada win its group, it would face the runner-up in Group C (No. 33 Panama, No. 63 Jamaica, No. 106 Guatemala and unranked Guadeloupe) in the quarterfinals while the second-place team in B faces the C winner.

Mexico is the current Gold Cup champion, having defeated Panama 1-0 in the 2023 final for its record ninth Gold Cup title. The U.S. has lifted the trophy seven times and Canada once, in 2000.

The Canadian men lost to the U.S. in a quarterfinal penalty shootout last time out, at the 2023 tournament.

Canada finished third in 2002 and was a losing semifinalist in 2007 and 2021, beaten by the U.S., and Mexico, respectively.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025