Youth development is improving. The Red Bulls fielded 4 former academy players in Tijuana last night and the production line will churn out a few more.
I'm not saying I'm OK with it but getting beyond the Quarterfinals is pretty big hurdle. Mexico has never done it. Since 1982 when they went to pretty much the current format England, Spain, and Portugal have only made it to the semifinals once each.
Which is very cool, but several steps below the champions league in terms of prestige. The CWC is a nice chance for Asian marketing for the Euro clubs, but it's still barely a blip. Still, it would be quite a cool reward for an MLS club. And for marketing, I'm sure the Euros would love it if the CWC became a big deal in MLS land.