I understand that most people are not aware of the organic connections. People's behaviour, thoughts, habits, and perceptions are highly conditioned by the formal and informal institutions that mould, produce and reproduce them.
I do not have time to get into details. I just will give you a couple of examples.
First, check the second goal of Mexico and Canada. This goal is not a random error. It is the result of lifetime of physical and mental conditioning that prevents the player from recognizing the situation. Here in the VMSL most referees and players do not recognize many fouls. I was recently talking to player who played in Italy and other European countries; and he commented how people see as normal many plays that would be granting yellow and red cards in other countries.
Second, these days rarely Canadians learn to play on their own. Most players learn to play in a completely controlled and supervised setting. Most players in Concacaf learn to play on their own on the streets or the school or park grounds. You can easily see how Canadian players tend to be very predictable, and show little creativity on the field with respect to other players in Concacaf and Commebol. This goes back to the younger formative years.
At the national level, the video below puts in evidence. At the amateur, VMSL level you can see it. As mentioned, I went to watch Coquitlam Metro Ford and I saw exactly this limitation. Yes, those guys have some technique and speed, but it was so predictable to see them play. Very boring and un exciting.
I could give more details, but I just provide this to make consider the connections. I am sure that you can discover many on your own.
In general, Canadian soccer players (amateur) are usually not aware how behind they are with respect to their counterparts (amateur players in other parts of the world) and how limited is their view of the game. The professionals can see it when they get trashed or dominated in the international level.
Nothing really bad with this. It is the way supposed to be. Rarely when we are in a social and political setting we are aware of our limitations or the reality because there are mechanisms put in place to blind us from seeing the reality. For example, when I talk to most Canadians they rarely see the racism and exclusion of First Nation in Canada, but they are quickly to identify and see the racism and exclusion toward Africans in the USA or South Africa. If you doubt it, you can check all the social indicators for Aboriginals in Canada or African Americans in the USA. They do not even come close. You have a better life as an African American in the USA than as an Aboriginal in Canada.
Essentially, soccer players in Canada have been carefully indoctrinated not see and be aware of how behind they are with respect to the rest in the area.
again - I guess it is completely beyond you to realize that VMSL has NOTHING to do with our National men's team success.
You give examples of lifetime conditioning - do you believe that conditioning starts in an adult men's competitive beer league?
Come on - if you want to change the soccer landscape. Go start or join a club, get on the board, and start developing programs and leagues for our u-littles that apparently no one else is able or willing to do (in your opinion).