Pretty much the same reason our national team is unimpressive. Most of our players come through college teams, and the level of college coaching sucks. Not withstanding MLS, we have no real pro game here, and MLS at best is sort of CONCOCAF level.
And our best athletes go into different sports.
we have no real pro game here
May it ever be thus...
This was a special under 23 years old tournament and big teams in Europe do not have to let their players play. Our top 5 under 23 years old players would almost certainly have smoked Honduras U23. But they didn’t play because they play for Barcelona in Spain, Chelsea in England, Juventus in Italy, etc.
There is a big rivalry between the Olympics and the soccer World Cup. The World Cup people do not want the Olympic soccer to get too popular and start to compete with the world cup.