By Vijay Setlur

The World Cup champion United States? It at least is one of three nations that has the greatest potential to catch and surpass the traditional soccer powers of Western Europe, according to the author of a new book.

Simon Kuper, co-author of Soccernomics, tabs the Americans along with Japan and China among the nations with the best chance of claiming soccer's biggest prize.

"The U.S. is almost there and will only get better," Kuper said.

Kuper, a Paris-based British sports writer, who wrote Soccernomics with Stefan Szymanski, an economics professor at Cass Business School in London, says three key factors are essential for future soccer supremacy - wealth, a large population and Western European soccer "know-how."

While the U.S. has money and the greatest number of young soccer players of any country, he says the 14th-ranked nation lacks soccer know-how because it lets nationalism get in the way.

"I suspect the U.S. will get only stronger when it drops its isolationist idea that it has to have a U.S. coach and starts importing Western European coaches," Kuper said.

Kuper contends his and Szymanski's book, released originally in Britain in August and last month in the United States, quantifies soccer through statistics and other measureable means.

He claims the United States, Canada, Mexico and other "marginal" soccer countries have suffered from their distance from the soccer know-how networks in Western Europe.

He calls this knowledge "collective soccer" -- which quickly diffused throughout Western Europe following World War II due to the large population and close proximity.

Kuper asserts that countries outside the core European Union region - due to distance, poverty or closed borders - typically struggle because they're isolated from the exchange of ideas. Since they're out of touch with the "best soccer," they've responded by creating their own dysfunctional styles.

But, their fortunes can change quickly.

"Culture doesn't mean much. Any country with a good Western European coach and time to prepare can learn Western European football quickly," Kuper said.

However, the Americans' recent performance may dispel the notion that they lack soccer know-how. The squad, with mostly Western European-based players, beat Spain to reach the Confederations Cup final, led by American Bob Bradley, who came through the U.S. college and pro ranks of Major League Soccer.

Kuper explains the success of Brazil and Argentina by attributing it to the best individual players and an ingrained culture of excellence.

He likens Canada to the United States saying it too suffers from a lack of soccer knowledge.

"Canada is very attached to the economic knowledge network of the U.S. and since the U.S. doesn't have great soccer know-how, Canada is extremely far removed from the soccer networks of the world and this is the reason why it has underperformed," he argues.

In Soccernomics, both countries made the list of the world's top 10 most underperforming nations.

Despite this, Kuper believes Canada has hope thanks to its passion for the game and growing business interest.

Paul James, soccer analyst for The Globe and Mail and former Canadian U-20 manager feels increasing ties to Western Europe are not necessarily a panacea for future success.

"Kuper's analysis, when applied to CONCACAF, is oversimplistic, because some countries lack professional infrastructure, while others don't have a true soccer identity, James said. "No amount of Western European soccer knowledge will correct those two important factors."

When asked about the future of the rest of CONCACAF, Kuper isn't optimistic.

He contends that Mexico's national team would be stronger if the clubs in the Primera Division were poorer. This would force top Mexican players to play in Spain and give them a chance to acquire Western European soccer experience.

Ivan Orozco, a freelance reporter who has covered Mexico since 2001, isn't convinced, suggesting Mexico has the talent and skill, but needs to improve its athleticism.

"Mexican players lack size, strength and agility to compete against most Western Europeans nations, so the Mexican federation should focus on developing the players' athletic ability, not only their soccer skills," he said.

And the Caribbean and Central American nations?

Kuper says they lack all three factors - wealth, a large population and experience playing top Western European countries, leaving them with little hope.

"What these countries need to do is import Western European football know-how and export their best players," he says, "so that they gain Western European know-how in Western Europe."