The top youth coaches also don’t go to the US and I would say that players preferring the US are in the vast minority and rarely stay there.
Infrastructure includes coaching and development to me and the US just doesn’t have that.
But you’re wrong, they do. There are plenty of high level youth coaches around the world, mostly Europe, that have come to the USA.
Here are some examples
LA Galaxy: Technical Director rain the Mexican National Team Youth Program
Chicago Fire: Technical Director had the same position at FC Basel for close to ten years. Head coach was the coach of FC Basel for two seasons, and then the coach of the US U17 team. Their previous coach was the coach of Serbia’s best generation of youth players in leading them to a U20 World Cup tittle.
Philadelphia Union: Technical director oversaw the RB Salzburg academy for six years, and prior to that held the same position at Hoffenheim. He replaced a guy that worked at AZ Alkmaar and NAC Breda in similar capacity.
FC Dallas: Sporting Director worked in similar capacity at Grêmio and Santos, including when Neymar was at Santos.
Barcelona runs their own academy in Arizona, which they staff with their trained employees from their operation in Spain.
The director of youth development for MLS ran the academy at Le Havre when they produced Pogba, Mahrez, B. Mendy, Payet, Mandanda, Diarra.
And then there are some coaches like Schelotto or Martino that came to MLS. Schelotto left Boca Juniors for LA Galaxy. Martino left the Argentine National Team for Atlanta United before recently leaving for the Mexican National Team. The two best coaches in the Mexican League in recent years, Matias Almeyda and Diego Alonso, both came for MLS and coach for San Jose and Miami, respectively.
These are only examples off the top of my head. To claim the USA doesn’t have good coaches and development staff is ridiculous. There have been plenty of very high profile coaches, directors, staff who either currently work in the USA or did.
I don’t know what you mean by including development as part of infrastructure. Isn’t development a byproduct of the many components of infrastructure?
Mexico are underachievers for their population and football mad population. I actually could see them decrease if their top players continue to go to MLS which is obviously MLS's plans to attract the Mexican-American audience. USA has the potential but I think as long as the team is majority MLS based it's hard to see them compete with the elite of the world, with respect to the league. USA is also a team without an identity, they are trying to shift away from that "gritty, outwork your opponent" mentality but they don't have the squad to play a technical/passing style, at least not yet
Colombia are a bit past it as well, peak Falcao/James were good. I can't see an African team or Mexico winning anytime soon either. Chile's golden generation are past their peak too so they're out as well. And Asian countries have no realistic shot. 5-10 years ago I'd maybe given Russia a vote but now.. not anymore. I like what Ukraine are doing though, they've got a good prospect pool and could be a dark horse for the next decade.
If i'm being serious i do not think we will ever win World Cup. We are a winter country with a population of 10 million. But i like our future with some good prospects going forward so we will probably continue to overachieve a bit. Our Quarterfinal in 2018 was an overachievement.
