re: Is the US Womens "dominance" only because the WC hasn't been around long?

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You also have to factor men have better opportunity making more money in basketball, football and baseball here in the states. I'll also add title ix holds back men wanting to play soccer at bigger universities in the south. I could go play for some school that had less people than my hs, or I could just go to the University I wanted to go to, quit playing soccer, and go into the real world.

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The "other sports take away potential stars" narrative is fair enough, but it really has nothing to do with why men's college soccer is a lesser way to develop talent. Add Title IX to that as something that's really unimportant. It really wouldn't matter how many universities had soccer. In fact, it would probably make the system even worse by diluting what "elite" talent does player college soccer. In reality, the best prospects never play college soccer or should even think about it. In a best case scenario for the USMNT, MLS clubs would be signing all of the best young players to academy teams to develop them from a very young age, just like they are in Spain, Germany, and every other major soccer nation. The NCAA's restrictions mean the teams simply cannot train together enough to turn out world class talent. When it comes down to it, college soccer's only real use is to introduce people to soccer and get them interested in the sport and to occasionally have someone who is a late developer have a shot to really stand out (see Morris, Jordan). It is not an effective or efficient way to develop players who can compete on the highest stages.

There was an article on 538 that showed that soccer is the third sport for high school girls, after volleyball and basketball, but that it was steadily growing.

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obviously our men aren't, so you kind of have to question how our women are so good with the same kind of program, resources, etc.

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What a ridiculous sentiment.

We were at the inception of women's soccer, where as we are playing catch up to the rest of the world on the men's side. And that is all because soccer is not the popular sport in this country. We have a long way to go for the men to be serious contenders year in and year out.
We don't have that problem with the women. Many of our best women athletes already choose soccer.

Most of the non-US elite players played college right here in the US, and many play (or have played) in NWSL.

Amazing that other countries banned women's soccer.