[shermanator]

That Canada didn't make the quarterfinals is disappointing, but really shouldn't be unexpected. We've fallen off a cliff in terms of how we develop talent in the last 20 years, and the other nations in CONCACAF have caught up and sped past us.

I'm not going to act like I know much about youth soccer in this country, but taking it to the higher levels, I think that until there is a Canadian Division 1 league that can at least pay a median living wage, there just won't be enough opportunity for Canadian players to make a living playing this sport in this country. You know why Central American teams produce good talent? Because the talent dedicate their lives to the sport as it's one of the few ways they can improve their standard of living. That reality just doesn't exist in Canada, unless you make an MLS club you'll be making comparable or less to what you can make in retail.

Hitching our wagon to a league that is ruled by another federation is a big part of the issue, there is little incentive for MLS clubs to make developing Canadians a priority over developing talent from other countries. We've had clubs in MLS for 9 years and we've gotten worse during that time, and I don't think that having reverse teams in USL is going to help all that much. I think the Canadian MLS clubs are producing some decent talent, but it's not enough to make a difference at the international level.