re: people actually think not qualifying is gonna be that negative towards our future chances?

The NCAA reform is a non starter. By the time a kid gets to college it's too late.

The biggest villains here are USSF for allowing a closed system. A closed system will never work in soccer. It works in the other big four sports because there are zero professional leagues that are competitive around the world and those big four leagues have access to 99% or more of the talent. MLS has access to 1% of the talent and none of it is world class save for potentially Pulisic.

What USSF needed to do was to force contract provisions in contracts to purchase MLS franchises that provided for Pro/Rel down the road but included renumeration and entry fees for all clubs based on stature.

The money collected could then be used to a have a paid head of US Soccer instead the farce of an elected volunteer and provide money for youth development as well as lower league development.

What MLS owner are failing to understand is that because they do not have a monopoly on the world's best talent they only way to survive is create additional interest through regional competition and dangling a carrot of promotion.

What many people fail to understand is that even in England there are several requirements that need to be met to be promoted.

If MLS serves its own interest and does not start building toward a pro/rel pyramid and develop it will bankrupt itself because without top end talent the league needs localized investment in players from a fan standpoint.