Let's not be down heart by this. I think this was always going to be a long shot but for NZF it needs to be a multi year process of promoting the All Whites to get into these tournaments.
The good news, I think, is the potential growth of the Gold Cup. The World Cup has really showed the US audiences are hungry for big events in the summer and are willing to watch it. The Gold Cup will definitely be growing in participants to fill that need and the All Whites will be waiting for an invite.
The bad news is the All Whites might not get picked to participate regularly(if at all), which means NZF needs to grow its own competition. Regular participation is what the All Whites need, not just one offs. Yes there is no money but local sponsorship investors might get interested if you invite China, India or England U23 team for example. Yes it's not "sexy" but in the long run its necessary.
The good news, I think, is the potential growth of the Gold Cup. The World Cup has really showed the US audiences are hungry for big events in the summer and are willing to watch it. The Gold Cup will definitely be growing in participants to fill that need and the All Whites will be waiting for an invite.
The bad news is the All Whites might not get picked to participate regularly(if at all), which means NZF needs to grow its own competition. Regular participation is what the All Whites need, not just one offs. Yes there is no money but local sponsorship investors might get interested if you invite China, India or England U23 team for example. Yes it's not "sexy" but in the long run its necessary.