a lot of African countries.
Bosnias teams never made it past qualifying stage of the CL, but their national team are in the WC.
Probably a few more examples.
A strong domestic league doesn't necessarily mean equivalent success in international competition either.
But I do think the ASBP plays a part in developing players for eventual international success. But I wouldn't go as far as to say it is crucial to success.
While I appreciate your lukewarm recognition of our national league I would disagree with your final point Tegal. The ASBP is crucial to the development of the game in NZ and thus the success of the All Whites. Many of the current All White squad have played in the national league and that's certainly true of the current Under 20 squad (leaving aside the Wanderers last season). The ASBP is the intermediate school to the high school of world professional football.
This why it's important that NZF starts to pay more attention to the development of the ASBP rather than largely leave it to its own devices. There's no question that a vibrant national league will feed through to a stronger All Whites, and dare I say, Phoenix who can cherry pick the best players.
I'm not saying the ASBP doesn't help those top players in the country develop, but just saying that claiming it's crucial for that on the basis that our best players have played in it isn't a sound argument.
This is where I disagree. The national league is the crucial step up in standard from the winter club scene for any promising player. Both are needed in a players development and both competitions need investing in. Without a vibrant national league I would suggest a number of young players who make the transition to higher levels would fall by the wayside. Academies can't fill that void, nor the US college system.
To be honest, I think it's more important for NZF to invest in the ASBP than in one-off All Whites games in obscure Asian locations. It might not be as glamorous but it's vitally important. That's why I'm seriously concerned new CEO Andy Martin still doesn't get it and is continuing his predecessors benign neglect of our national league with his focus on the AWs and Phoenix. As any gardener knows, you must water the roots for the plant to flower.