In the first of three friendly matches against soccer’s elite, the U.S. men’s team lost 2-0 to England yesterday in London, signaling that it has its work cut out for it if it’s to join the top ranks of soccer. Goals from England’s captain John Terry in the first half and Steven Gerrard in the second half were enough to see off an American team playing with a mostly first-choice side (but without Landon Donovan, who missed the match due to injury). Donovan’s L.A. Galaxy teammate, David Beckham, did make the trip to London for the game, and provided the cross for Terry’s headed goal in the first half. The Americans had only one real chance on goal, with Eddie Johnson flashing a shot just wide of the post. It was the first loss for America in 2008, and snapped a five-match undefeated streak.

The American team needs more challenges to toughen itself up if it is ever to win a World Cup — the team will see two of those against Spain (June 4) and Argentina (June 8). The three friendlies are ostensibly part of the American team’s preparation for World Cup qualifying matches against Barbados on June 15 and 22. While the friendlies might seem like overkill for the competition expected from a soccer lightweight such as Barbados — ranked #117 in FIFA’s world rankings — it shows that the Americans have realized that they can’t settle for the weak North American competition if they’re to make real progress toward a World Cup title.

When the stakes have been high in Europe, America has folded. The three European World Cups for which the Americans have managed to qualify are good examples: The men’s national team failed to win a game in Italy in 1990, in France in 1998, and in Germany in 2006. In low-stakes friendly matches, though, America has enjoyed a recent run of success. The loss to England snapped America’s three-match winning streak in Europe in which the team beat Sweden, Switzerland, and Poland — all in hostile home stadiums. Though those three countries may not spring to mind as soccer powers, all three teams have qualified for the 2008 European Championships — something that England can’t claim.

But enhanced competition alone will not jump-start the team. American soccer faces two major problems that, without redress, will prevent the national team from ever seriously challenging for a World Cup title. The first is that soccer remains far down the pecking order in attracting the best young athletes in America. The second is that the coaching and training provided to those who do choose soccer are not up to the standards of the elite soccer countries in the rest of the world. But solutions to both of these problems are slowly taking shape.

For young athletes in America, soccer still cannot compete with baseball, basketball, or football for fame, glory, and more importantly, money. While the youth is not entirely motivated by economic decisions when choosing a sport, it certainly doesn’t help soccer’s case that the median salary in American Major League Soccer is about $50,000, while the average NBA player makes more than $5 million. European soccer players do earn more than their MLS counterparts, and some of the best Americans are moving abroad to improve their compensation. To stop this exodus, and entice more talent, MLS needs to offer competitive salaries — or at least ask Beckham to hand out $20 bills during post-game handshakes.

To improve coaching and training, America has started to emulate the academy system that is prevalent in Europe. The idea behind academies is that each club team is responsible for finding and nurturing young talent in its local area. The clubs provide the young players with intensive coaching and training and, in return, get to sign the best players as professionals once they turn 17.

The United States Soccer Federation already has 63 academies around the country. And MLS has mandated that all clubs set up their own academies. Once they’re in place, MLS teams will be able to sign players from their academies without the players having to go back into the MLS Super Draft, as was previously the case. This change provides a strong incentive to invest in young talent.

When the American team has achieved elite status, American fans will optimistically anticipate matches against countries such as England, Spain, and Argentina — rather than only hope to avoid embarrassment. But that mind-set is still a long way off, especially after yesterday’s loss. Beating Spain in Santander or Argentina at Giants Stadium could provide a sliver of hope that the American team will have a solid future. The scheduling of friendlies in the first place is a sign of progress.

But true parity for America with the world’s elite teams will come only with a concerted long-term commitment to attaining such a goal. Beating Barbados is easy — conquering the soccer world requires the mobilization of an entire sports infrastructure.