usually turn it down because we want to play a CONCACAF tournament. There has been a lot of talk about why the US doesn’t perform better based on population, available athletes and advantages like facilities etc.

If I’m right about the first sentence, isn’t that attitude a big part of the problem. We duck putting our national team in a tougher tournament so we can play a lesser one that we often get to the final of or win.

If you want to be the best, you have to play the best as much as you can. And friendlies don’t do it the way games that count do.