CanMNT coach Marsch says Whitecaps players 'poisoned' in Mexico

Vancouver Whitecaps players were poisoned before last Sunday's CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City, Canada's men's national team coach Jesse Marsch alleged in a fiery rant against the confederation Friday.

Marsch, who included three Whitecaps players in his Gold Cup roster, said it's "appalling" that a North American club suffered from food poisoning in Mexico.

The Whitecaps canceled training Wednesday after a "significant number" of players and staff returned from Mexico with gastrointestinal problems. The team lost 5-0 to Liga MX giants Cruz Azul in the final and failed to record a shot at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario.

Columbus Crew players fell ill days before losing in Pachuca in last year's showpiece. Club president Tim Bezbatchenko didn't say whether his team's food was intentionally contaminated, but he wouldn't rule it out.

"It's, for me, 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," Marsch told reporters, including freelance journalist Joe Callaghan.

"Well, look, in the past when you would go down there, I remember being with the U.S. national team and clubs going down to Mexico, it was, 'Will the fire alarm be pulled in the middle of the night? Will there be dancing and singing?' And those are somewhat spirited, competitive advantages that are created when you go down to Mexico. But poisoning another team is ... another version.

"Look, I don't have any proof here that this (happened), but it's not random. It's not random that two years in a row this has happened. If I were the Vancouver Whitecaps, if I were the Columbus Crew, if I were MLS, I would be absolutely angry that this has been allowed to happen."

The three Whitecaps players - defender Sam Adekugbe, midfielder Ali Ahmed, and winger Jayden Nelson - remain on Marsch's 26-man Gold Cup roster and trained separately from the group ahead of Saturday's friendly against Ukraine.

Marsch said the trio will be available for the match but unlikely to handle a full 90-minute workload.

Canada will play Cote d'Ivoire in another exhibition Tuesday and begin Gold Cup action June 17 against Honduras.