USA soccer fans are SPLIT on the rumored hiring of former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch

Football fans in the US have wildly differing opinions about the federation’s rumored plan to hire Jesse Marsch as the new coach of the men’s team.

Marsch lasted less than a year at Leeds and also experienced a rushed departure from RB Leipzig, but had previous success with the New York Red Bulls in the MLS and impressed with his work at Red Bull Salzburg.

Now USMNT fans are debating whether he is the right choice to succeed Gregg Berhalter.

“I wouldn’t be happy if Jesse Marsch was named USMNT manager,” MLS Buzz, a prominent American soccer account, wrote on Twitter.

“But there is no doubt that he has achieved more at a higher level than Gregg Berhalter. It’s a step forward, but not the drastic step many of us wanted.’

“Jesse Marsch isn’t a bad hire,” said another user. “We just had better options. Patrick Vieira was one of them.’

“I just think Jesse Marsch took too many steps way too soon… how did he go from being a manager of RB Salzburg and a failed Leipzig manager to managing Leeds United and now the USMNT?” asked another fan . “It just doesn’t make sense.”

Some were more enthralled by the possibility of Marsch coaching the national team.

‘If Jesse Marsch gets the right staff around him, we’ll start cooking. Don’t listen to the hate,” someone said.

“Jesse Marsch seems to be hiring an absolute slam-dunk, no-brainer USMNT coaching and I can wait to see all the new and insane ways people find to get mad about it,” said another Twitter user.

‘I’m excited about this. Now we’re going to win the World Cup on home soil!’ said another fan, referring to the 2026 World Cup which will take place in the US, Mexico and Canada.

Debate over Marsch’s candidacy was spurred by a report from the Chicago Fire site meninred.com who said he was “very close” to being named USMNT coach. Marsch played for the Fire between 1998 and 2005.

While the article sparked a conversation about Marsch’s abilities as a manager, it also raised questions about the timeline on which the USSF operates.

The piece claimed that Marsch could start after June’s Gold Cup – instead of taking charge of that tournament and the CONCACAF Nations League before that.

That decision would have many fans of the US, including Alexi Lalas, curious as Marsch has been unemployed since February following his resignation from Leeds.

‘If it’s true, there must be reasons for it, but [not having a coach start until after the Gold Cup] seems even crazier when it’s Jesse Marsch,” Lalas said. ‘

“Right now I just want a decision from the #USMNT coach and a warm body, whoever it is, so we can move forward. 1119 days left until the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

The former USMNT defenseman isn’t alone in that line of thinking.

Alexi Lalas can’t understand why a USMNT coach would start after June’s Gold Cup

“I’m sorry, what am I missing here?” asked another. “If he’s the choice, why wait until after the Gold Cup? It seems to me that every day he doesn’t evaluate his talent and shape his system around the best players in the pool, because the system seems like a lost day.’

“It’s really hilarious that while Marsch has been out of work for months, we’ve taken all this time to get a sporting director to do ‘due diligence’ and ‘follow the process’ to get the best coach possible – to eventually assume. Marsch anyway,” another Twitter user added.

Indeed, the USSF recently hired ex-Southampton director of football operations Matt Crocker as its new sporting director.

The Briton will not begin his role full-time until August 2, but said he would begin the search for a new USMNT head coach immediately.

The team has been without a permanent coach since Berhalter’s contract expired on December 31, with Anthony Hudson acting as caretaker manager thereafter.