Jesse Marsch wants his players to be all-in, especially his newly committed dual nationals: Middlesbrough center back Alfie Jones and Crystal Palace-signed goalkeeper, Owen Goodman.
Jones is one of four. All but three other Canadian players are bundled up in headgear to stay warm in freezing Toronto temperatures as Marsch drills them through an intense session.
But Jones has nothing, and he isn’t even Canadian yet.
The English-born defender is with the Canadian team for the first time, joining at 28 years old, and just over 200 days before Canada hosts the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico.
He could make his debut on Thursday when Canada faces Ecuador in Toronto in the first of two November friendlies against South American opposition. However, his matchday activity could be more than a light walk. Instead, he’ll try to take his oath of Canadian citizenship.
“It’s been amazing and a whirlwind. I’m just so happy to be here, so honored to be here. I’m trying to soak up every moment,” Jones told in an exclusive interview on his second-ever day in Canada. “I knew it was cold, but getting here and seeing snow, I didn’t realize it was that cold. We haven’t seen snow in England for a few years.”
Alongside him and Goodman is Mexican-Canadian Marcelo Flores, who is listed only as a training player.
