Quote Originally Posted by The Federalist Engineer View Post
These $ amounts are peanuts compared to elite Baseball and Hockey. The US team just lacks true game changing players, they have decent players. CONCACAF is a much better league than it has ever been. Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras could beat anybody in the world. Honduras at home fights like tigers. Even Jamaica is ok.

The only gimme games in CONCACAF are the tiny Caribbean resort islands. Team USA in 1990, 1998, and 2006 would not have qualified against this competition either.

You mention ODP...ODP Sucks
There is definitely some truth to this. Although the 2006 team would have easily qualified against this competition. I can't speak as much to the others, but I would imagine the 98 team was also definitely good enough. And this team, even with its issues should have easily qualified. CONCACAF has improved a good bit, but not that much. There is no excuse for finishing above only T&T in the hex.

The strange irony in all this is that the MLS is aiding in keeping the US back to some degree, but it has also played a huge part in growing teams like CR, Honduras, and Panama.