Some people need to put their emotions aside...the journalist didn't say next year or next 5-years...but it is inevitable (if I had to predict, I woul say in 10-years....
Look at the following:
1. Very good financial backing.
2. Infrastructure is pretty developed and is continuing to get better exponentially.
3. Sports management is of a high pedigree
4. Quality of Sports medicine personel and research is one of the best in the world.
5. Academies are pretty good and continue to be developed including being associated with leagues in Europe and S. America
6. Political Clout (arguable)
7. Current and great potential for readily available sponsorship deals (compared to other countries).
8. The US currently and in the near past attract major top -10 National teams (Argentina, England, Spain) as well as clubs (FC Barcelona, Chelea) around the world.
9. A fairly rapidly developing MLS league.
10. Large population with continous migration from footballing nations.
11. Potential to attract some of the biggest names in football, some which have already joined and some more contemplating.
12. Coaching academies is of good quality.
13. A developing football fanbase and fellowship
Please tell me who in Concacaf has even 1/2 of the above going for them ??
not sure if anyone disagrees that US can be/is/will be the #1 team in the region. and maybe one day in the world. question is..look at who are the class teams on the planet right now? Can anyone guarantee a victory against Mexico. Nope. There are limits to human achievement and others will always play follow the leader and play catch up. I simply find the notion that they think they will easily blow aside Mexico going and coming unrealistic. And the author sounds like that is his trigger to start looking at waht next. Fact is, US looking at what next looooong time now.
The US has already outgrown Concacaf. As far as I concerned, when you pretty much guaranteed to qualify for the WC and you winning every other Gold Cup, is time to start reviewing how you get to the next level. Mexico did it a long time ago. What did they do? They improved the standard of their domestic league, accepted invitations to the Copa America, and on the club level accepted invites to Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, started exporting more players to Europe, play friendlies against the best etc....Mexico even now even picks naturalized citizens..something that was sacrilege in the past. The same things the US has to do to. Brazil and Argentina probably outgrew Conmebol a while ago. Does that mean they soared into the stratosphere and now noone in their region can touch them? You have to find ways to maintain dominance and keep sharp. However, the lower teams..if they have any organization will start to follow suit. In Concacaf, the only team showing the infrastructure and organization to make it a top 3 in Concacaf and not top 2 even if they not quite there yet, is Costa Rica. Evenyually, others will follow. The US should never expect to just walk all over Concacaf..Just as Brazil or Argentina can't walk into Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay or Colombia and watch them slight...even if they probably did at some point in their trajectory.
I find the US predicament is legit, and to be honest, they reach there long time. They already implementing the steps they need to get to the next level...no need to wait until you are the superteam of the region. But not only is the predicament legit..it is not original. Mexico was there decades ago. But just as Mexico does still come to T&T and get whet, US will be going to the Azteca and to Costa Rica and get ah automatic whet for a long time. I just find to frame the issue in terms of the US becoming a superteam in Concacaf is a joke.
