The level of play in MLS is not sufficient enough to get them past the round of 16. Granted, more and more of USMNT is playing abroad, but they are still on the trajectory. Also, more importantly, MOST IMPORTANTLY, it's a cultural thing that Jurgen Klinsmann alluded to. He had probably the most brilliant statement ever...he said '...you Americans have it backwards. You put your kids through the grass roots process and hope that they end up with a scholarship...' If we applied the American baseball farm system model to MLS (obviously what they do in Europe), they'd instantly make every WC group The Group of Death.