I don't disagree with your premise--that skill development is more of a consistent factor in determining success than raw athleticism, while at the same time not discounting that athleticism plays a role.

Now that every MLS team has a development program (all but 2 of which are free), and even some USL teams have development academies, we seem to be developing youth at a much faster pace. In fact, Seattle Sounders just won GA Cup, with top teams from Europe in attendance. We're starting to see more kids developed in the US get packaged off to Europe, and we're seeing them succeed. It's becoming regular, where formerly US players got looks in Europe after proving themselves here in the US (and thus they tended to be older). We now have almost 150 teenagers in European systems. The US national youth teams are getting better and better.

I think it's finally happening. Most of the things we've complained about in the past are slowly getting fixed. Definitely on a path upwards.