The style and system Jesse Marsch has molded for the Canadian men’s national team is predicated on pressure; hemming in and harrying opponents until they are deprived of options. It is lovingly labeled the ‘maple press,’ and it turns out its principles also apply to wedding planning.
Alistair Johnston, one of the spiritual leaders of Marsch’s rapid Canadian revolution over these past 10 months, will tie the knot this summer. Peyton Pesavento, his fiancée, was immediately constrained when she tried to find some space. “I only had one date that I could give her in the next two calendar years!” the Celtic defender says with a smile.
It is then a Sunday in early June. Then, on the Monday of that week, the groom will join up with Marsch and his teammates for Gold Cup preparations.
On the field, and increasingly off it, Johnston has become a cornerstone for Celtic and Canada. The milestones have racked up: 50 international caps, 100 appearances in hoops, captaining both, longlisted for the Best Fifa Men’s XI. That’s just since November. By the time wedding day rolls around he’ll have at least one more medal, with Celtic having won the Scottish League Cup and holding a huge lead atop the Scottish Premiership, but he’s adamant it can be three after this week in Los Angeles.
The Concacaf Nations League is, at first or most blushes, not the sexiest prize. However, a quarter century has passed since the Canadian men last won a trophy. A year out from a World Cup on home soil, Marsch and Canada crave a physical symbol of how far they’ve come. The political and cultural climate adds greater weight still. This football version of the Four Nations Face-Off from last month has been made possible by Donald Trump’s threats to Canada, Mexico, and Panama, the three countries that are coming to visit here. Marsch, who last month lashed out at Trump for his ‘51st state’ threats, and his American counterpart Mauricio Pochettino tried to sidestep the geopolitics during Tuesday afternoon’s press conferences at SoFi Stadium. Later at Canada’s team hotel, Johnston wasn’t of a mind to do the same.
I was raised in a family where education was prioritized. According to the 26-year-old, football came in second. “[The current political climate] is at the forefront of not just my mind but also my family back home. I hear a lot about the stress and the unease it’s put on them.
“It’s been powerful to watch and to see how united it’s made people. There’s such a level of respect we’ve had for Americans throughout history. But you can see how strongly the Canadians react when you start to break that. It seems to sum up Canada: we respect everyone, but we don’t give that respect away for weakness or generosity. “We have shown through hockey, look how unified, how fired up [we are]. I was up at the crack of dawn [in Scotland] watching those games. We are fortunate as a team to enter the [Nations League] at a significant moment for Canada. These are trying times. The economy is going to struggle because of a trade war. Difficult decisions. Some are going to lose their jobs. People are going to look for something to clasp onto.
“We saw what the hockey team did, they came through in the most significant moment. We will have our chance here to do it and build even more momentum going into the 2026 World Cup. Our nation is under attack and threat; an additional couple of degrees of intensity should be added. Johnston rarely quiets his conscience. He retaliated against a right-wing troll who was focusing on the history of this Canada team last summer. He is refreshingly candid, an engaging thinker and speaker, and also a magnet for cliches, which has a tinge of irony in it. Student of the game. Ultimate team player. All are used frequently. Each fits. A snapshot: when Alphonso Davies buried a second-minute header beyond Dominik Livakovic at Qatar 2022 for Canada’s first-ever men’s World Cup goal, teammates sprinted to Davies, engulfing him. Not Johnston. He first ran to Tajon Buchanan whose perfect cross had found Davies on the button.
Earlier on Tuesday Johnston was, typically, first out at LA Coliseum as a gorgeously still Southern California morning sun kissed the Bermuda grass. The training ground also serves as Canada’s sacred ground. The nation won the final prize, the 2000 Gold Cup, in that stadium. The right-back looked around at training and saw a group ready to meet the moment.
“It’s funny because a lot of players think, “That box is checked,” when they win a trophy. That’s almost the way it’s done in North America, says Johnston, who joined Celtic in 2023 and has won six medals. “However, when I look at James Forrest and Callum McGregor at Celtic, I am struck by their drive to win every trophy. “We’ve thought a lot about it. Just thinking about two years ago we were in Las Vegas lining up for a Nations League Final and I’m thinking about how different a position we’re in now. We’ve been playing in big leagues and major European competitions for two more years, making us two years older. There’s a quieter sense of belief that yeah we’re here again but this time we’re ready. That brings almost a calming influence.”
Moments of calm have been shorter in supply during the hectic European season. Last weekend, Celtic’s loss to crosstown rival Rangers in the Old Firm Derby was a jolt in an otherwise terrific campaign, serving as a reminder of the demands on Johnston.
“That’s the pressure that you need to enjoy. That is the Celtic standard. It’s mentally taxing, but when you’re at a club like that, it means so much,” he says. “I see what the club means to people. I understand that if I’m a fan of a club like this, what would I like to see from my players? I’m honest with my work, defensively love a tackle, love being physical. I’m a bit football-mad. I love the city. [It’s] the biggest fish bowl in all of Europe. Everyone knows who you are. You are aware that they are aware of who you are, regardless of whether they love or despise you. I’m not famous outside of maybe a 30-mile radius of Glasgow city center… but what a radius.”
Johnston credits Marsch and his Celtic managers Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers for his growth and form, which has caught the eye of Premier League sides. A new contract ties him to Celtic until 2029 and he insists his family, with beloved black lab Salem, is very settled.
“I’m in no rush to take a Scottish dog out of Scotland,” Johnston says. “That’d be its challenge. The incredible opportunity this club has given me, I don’t take for granted. In the semifinal matchup against Mexico on Thursday, opportunity comes first. A Sunday decider against the United States would be a tempting opportunity for Canada to counterattack. Having said that, Johnston has avoided any discussion of booing during the anthem. He shared the flight to LA with Celtic teammate and England-born US defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.
“At this stage, I’m more American than CCV!” Johnston grinned. “He probably doesn’t even know the anthem.”
