The Gold Cup Champs Mexico vs Gold Cup Losers Los Nads (9/6/2019) Jersey

I think @chiva_guero is right about what leagues they play in... One only spends so much time with the NT... They spend the majority of their time playing with their professional teams and the level of the leagues they play in as well as the quality of instruction on professional teams matter...

 

I think it has, just not for us. I don't have hard data on this but the teams that are in the finals and semis in most WCs seem to be the teams with the most players in big teams in the biggest leagues in Europe.

 

I'd argue Mexico underperforms/ struggles when Concacaf Is better

 

Without competition, it will be slower to grow, I grew up watching Mexico walk over the region and then get a wake up call at the WC... granted there were probably less meaningful friendlies outside of concacaf, and of course little to no Euro presence, but still, you grow complacent, it happens in all disciplines.

/p

 

It might benefit from getting an easier qualifying road but overall the fact is the majority of the countries will only do so much at their best. The other 2 are sleeping giants, one of which (along with China) can reach the potential to become a powerhouse and leave Mexico in the dust. So there is no benefit at all for Mexico to get better and merging or participating in CONMEBOL is a bigger thing.

As for European teams, that is the key for Mexico and what I think they should strive for because as others have mentioned, club play is where the real development make thru. People in Mexico sometimes have a skewered idea of it not growing because Mexico has kept at the Round of 16 but it's because they act like the fans in the US and think everything revolves around them. As if Mexico was the only team that is sending players to europe and has grown because of it. They should look at the squads of other South American teams in the 94 and 98 World Cups to say that everybody was in a similar boat. If Mexico went back to an all Liga MX team, it wouldn't be qualifying out of the group stages.

 

The competition is with other NT's and European experience not with CONCACAF. Central American and Caribbean teams will only grow up to a point. And if the United States soccer grows, Mexico will be left in the dust. There are things Mexico can't compete as a nation with and if MLS grows to the capabilities of their major leagues like the NBA and NFL, Mexico wont be able to grow close. Mexico has to forget about CONCACAF and look to other regions (aka South America) and their own players to do so. Looking at CONCACAF will be like jumping into quicksand for Mexico.

 

None of the major leagues (except maybe the NHL) have an overwhelming foreign presence without a similar block of American players and I doubt MLS wouldn't eventually follow suit.

 

LOL at Basketball not being popular at the rest of the planet.

 

The quality of a team is determined primarily by the quality of the players. Players are developed by clubs, not national teams. It doesn't matter if CONCACAF sucks if the players are being developed in quality leagues.

 

I never said as much as football because no sport is. But you did say no sport the us plays is popular in the rest of the planet which is BS.

 

By that logic every sport would be irrelevant compared to football. Doesn't change that what you said was BS.