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give a s**t what people have to say,” said Marsch.

“Like, all I care about is our own team and what we do together.”

Canada came second in their group after losing to Switzerland. It was enough to progress to the knockout stages for the first time in the history of a country more known for ice hockey.

But failing to top the group deprived Canada of the chance to stay in Vancouver for the tournament’s next phase.

“We were disappointed to have to leave Canada, given the fanfare and passion around everything for the World Cup and our team,” admitted Marsch.

“But the guys quickly refocused and knew that this was a massive opportunity.”

Marsch said his team was very familiar with playing in the United States, which has hosted recent editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America, as well as Canadian friendlies.

Large parts of Los Angeles’ SoFi stadium were a sea of red. The team’s next stop is Houston for the round of 16.

Canada’s opponents will be the winners of a clash between Morocco, who reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and three-time finalists the Netherlands.

Marsch, who sent out his team to attack against South Africa, said he would need to adjust his tactics given the higher quality of each of the next potential opponents.

But he said he was relishing the chance to face “one of the giants” of world football, dubbing Morocco a “modern giant” for their recent success, and the Netherlands “a traditional giant.”

“I feel like it’s a free hit, and we’re going to go after it and do everything we can to see if we can find a way to get a win,” he said.