Russia 2018

Would you hate me for telling you to expect about the same thing you saw unfold in the 2014 tournament from Klinsmann and Co. again in 2018?

Most likely scenario to me would be a US team that advances to the Round of 16, but not much further than that – the fate of 2010 and 2014. The Round of 16 thought lukewarm, is a feat in and of itself.

Reaching the quarterfinals or semifinals is the gap the US is trying to bridge, but that’s a Golden Gate size bridge. It's hard to make that big a change in international soccer.

The US reached the quarterfinals in 2002. They haven't been back since.

Four years is also a really long time. How good is Brazil’s Neymar by then? What's Lionel Messi of Argentina’s situation at that time? Does he have a better team around him? Did he get injured? Did Poland suddenly become a world power? Spain, England and Italy, all World Cup winners and all knocked out of the group stage in 2014, will surely improve by then.

But I'm serious when I say things could be astoundingly different in a good way for the US in Russia. Julian Green, the youngest-ever American to score in a World Cup, will be 23. He could be one of the best players in the world at the point. He could also be Freddy Adu — a total flop. (I checked in on Freddy. He’s miraculously still only 25 years old and is currently without a professional contract. Sigh.)

Along with Green, one name all US soccer followers must keep on their radar is Gedion Zelalem. The 17-year-old could literally make or break the future of American soccer. His potential is that high. Zelalem plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League and made his debut for the senior team this past season. Again, he’s 17. (He’ll be 21 in 2018.) The one problem: Germany wants him too. He was born in Berlin but lived in Washington D.C. from ages 9 to 15. There’s no doubt Klinsmann already has his teeth in him (insert obligatory Luis Suarez joke here). The Washington Post reported that Zelalem and his father subtly filed for citizenship in May. We need this one.

The US’s chances will hinge on a further variety of factors.

 How many more guys can Klinsmann recruit from other nations? He brought seven dual-nationals to Brazil. Many of those players, including Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, John Brooks and Green, played pivotal roles. How many Americans can find their way to European club teams? Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley used to but both moved back to Major League Soccer. This irritated Klinsmann who knows that to be the best you must play among the best. Thankfully good showings in Brazil have some US players in the crosshairs of some of Europe’s elite. Matt Besler and DeAndre Yedlin among those rumored to be moving on to bigger and better things.

These are the questions that need to be answered. There are so many variables.

Now, let's throw eight years on that and look at 2022. Given the trajectory, and if Klinsmann and American leadership continue their smart growth, 2022 could be a time to write history. In 2022, in theory, the US has a real chance of contending for the World Cup.

Laugh while you still can.