So maybe the Americans are the underperformers.

Some of our guys may be purchased by clubs hoping to get a few American stars, maybe get some fans, sell a few jerseys, do a Summer tour in the states, our guys may be a little over hyped and overrated.

We had dominate keepers in the past that could earn us some upsets.

The lower middle class immigrant parts of Paris or Argentina suffering an economic downturn making Soccer even more important and funded as an incentive for boys, or even Spain giving tax cuts so Atletico, Sevilla, Barca, Real Madrid etc. can buy and develop talent.

Mexico and the US have both been hurt by the dumb hockey style indoor soccer fields they have while everywhere else has football sala.

Americans invented the durable street balls, they get used more in other countries. We now have great soccer stadiums, with solid foreigner playing on them.

Our pickup soccer culture kind of sucks, even though we probably have more grass and fields since our ladies play so much.

We have some things going for us, it just has not moved the needle on our National Team. Somehow we upset Spain during their glory years when only Switzerland did as well.

We even knocked off Brazil in the Gold Cup in 98 in their glory years.

If we were to even beat the Netherlands or like Belgium now would seem like a shocker.

US and Mexican soccer has gotten richer, the fans are more knowledgable, they have not gotten better though.