It was blamed for the 1998 debacle in France, but I think we're seeing more of it now, too, as players are enticed by an improving (but not quite yet "there") MLS to stay at home. I think this could be more of a second bounce-down due to the evolution of MLS more than a sign of major issues. As MLS improves the players who spend most of their time in MLS will improve as well.

That's not to say there aren't other ways to improve and things that perhaps should be done differently. Playing/training in Europe is still head and shoulders above anything we can replicate here in the United States -- for some. We need to take advantage of that a lot more.

The benefit to being the United States, by the way, is that it's now in the interest of these European leagues for our soccer to improve. They make money hand over fist with half-assed preseason exhibitions; they're learning as well that there are players in the United States that they can poach at an early age to bring overseas to train. The more these countries buy into the US as a soccer nation, the more it's going to help us moving forward.

One other MLS point that an announcer brought up in September -- while the league has improved the US team some, the bigger impact perhaps has been on other (non-Mexico) CONCACAF teams. It's given players from Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica, Jamaica, etc., a MUCH better league for THEIR players to improve as well. So while we've improved some they've improved more and closed the gap because of it.

[Post edited by Nova Hokie 95 at 10/13/2017 4:45PM]