Australia had high hopes of an historic World Cup knockout round win after progressing through the group stage.

However, a painful Round of 32 exit, losing a penalty shootout to Egypt, raised familiar questions about the state of soccer in Australia.

These conversations generally centre on:

was the preparation leading up to the World Cup the best it could be?

were the players well prepared?

are our coaches good enough?

is there enough elite talent coming through the system?

To answer them properly, we need to examine some deep, structural problems.

Australian soccer’s big issues

Soccer is the most participated team sport in the country.

It’s obvious, then, that Australia does not have a participation problem. The challenge is converting participation into elite performance.

The world’s most successful soccer nations have developed ecosystems designed to identify, support and nurture talent regardless of geography, socioeconomic status or personal connections.

Although these systems vary, they all maximise talent identification and minimise the likelihood of losing promising players before they reach their potential.

These nations do not simply produce outstanding players. They produce systems that identify, develop and generate exceptional players.

In Australia, many young players face barriers that most young athletes in leading soccer nations do not:

geographic dispersion increases travel demands and costs, and makes early identification difficult, particularly for those in regional and rural areas

geographic........

© The Conversation