Not saying you are wrong, but the same thing was said in 1996 when the WC was played in the US. That's now 18 years ago... and the talent level in the US can still not match the level in Europe.
A lot of the problem, IMO, has to do with college soccer and the NCAA. Think of where European players are at 18. They've already been scouted and been playing for clubs "under" teams. By 18, many European players have been playing for 6 years against the rest of the best players across Europe. By 18, they are ready to play for major clubs.
EDIT: Btw, I'm not saying the popularity hasn't picked up, but thats a far cry from the actual talent level picking up.