I agree with your fodder comment, but as to the academies, the proof is in the pudding. How many homegrown players are even making an significant impact in the MLS or the top Euro leagues? Not many.I think we do pass up talent. I've seen it. We have a Latin American based population in SoCal as into soccer as Panama yet can't produce the same talent. It's not like immigrants suddenly became bad at soccer by crossing the border. The European system (which started at 12 as recently as a decade ago) keeps getting pushed back younger so it's 6-8 now. The system needs bodies to keep churning and needs to cast as wide a net as possible. I agree, however, it is not THE major problem. That's the transitional age at U18 out of the academy.
As to U14-U17, are the kids you've seen at the academies (or a handful of starters at places like IMG, Barsca or Strikers)? Because those are the kids that matter. All the other kids on the boys side in MLSN are all just fodder. They aren't in the academy system and therefore aren't counted. The coaches can be as terrible as they want because those kids are already out of the running already playing just tiered rec at the highest level for a pay to play cost (some because of college, which again is the biggest disruptor in our system).
This is probably a different issue with the USMNT, but there are 25 players on the team that play in the first division of the top 4 Euro leagues with another 7 playing in the Eredivisie (few are impact players, but still competing at the highest level). Panama has one and he didn't play in the game. 9 of the 11 starters for the USA played in the top 4 Euro leagues, one for Norwich and the other in the MLS. Somewhere there is a big disconnect.