Disappointed but far from disconsolate, USA's players trooped out of Auckland's North Harbour with the words of their coach echoing from the press room. “I'm really happy with them," said Tab Ramos, having watched his side lose to Serbia on penalties after a goalless quarter-final. "Looking at the tournament overall, I'm satisfied."

Gedion Zelalem could see the wisdom in these sentiments. It was, however, another of his coach's remarks - "I do think we could have achieved a little bit more here" - that really struck a chord. This Arsenal youngster is nothing if not ambitious, after all, and will not settle for modest hopes and expectations where the US is concerned.

"I think we've done well, but we also want to reach higher," he told FIFA.com. "We're not satisfied just getting to quarter-finals. We want to be reaching finals and winning tournaments."

There are, of course, plenty of teams aiming to make that same seemingly small, but notoriously difficult step. Yet Zelalem believes there is enough evidence in the American game to suggest that the transition from competitors and also-rans to genuine title contenders should not be far off.

"It's getting bigger and better all the time," he said of football in the US. "Major League Soccer definitely is and, at national team level, we're also improving. Players are getting better on the ball and we're starting to see a new style of play, keeping the ball and passing and moving.

"We're definitely progressing. How much potential do we have? A lot. I think at the next World Cup you could see us do really well."

For some, Brazil 2014 is still too recent a memory to begin focusing on 2018. Yet Zelalem does so unashamedly and says that his experiences at the FIFA U-20 World Cup - which has produced 32 winners of the senior equivalent - have only made him more determined to book his spot.