Canada's dreams of seeing the national men's soccer team make it to the World Cup sank once again after the team finished third in their World Cup qualifying pool earlier this week despite a 3-1 victory over El Salvador on Tuesday, leaving some critics wondering why the team can't seem to put it together.

The routine failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup has been ongoing since their lone appearance in 1986, where they left the tournament without a single victory. Former international player and current trainer Mark Rogers says in order for the team to get on the right track, changes need to be made at the grassroots level.

"What's happening at the grassroots level of our game without top-down leadership is ... miscommunication on teaching these kids," said Rogers on CBC's The Early Edition. "The grassroots of this game are really crucial, and we're not getting it right."

According to Rogers, although enrolment in soccer programs in Canada is strong — which indicates that there is a national interest in the sport — a lot of the teaching staff aren't getting any direction on how to train young players.

"We have to really focus our attention on coach education and educating our teachers of the game," he said, adding that coaches often mishandle soccer education by turning their attention towards students they think are more gifted and create an exclusive environment.

"If you just focus on a tiny group too early, you won't get the fruits of that," said Rogers.

Critics say more focus needs to be done at the grassroots level to ensure players get the technical support they need to play at an elite world-class level. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

A new leader

Rogers is hopeful that leadership will change with the recent hiring of Jason deVos as the new director of development for Canada Soccer.

"I know his mandate is to really look at the grassroots of the game and make big changes, said Rogers.

DeVos, who retired in 2008 after 49 appearances for Canada's national team, has been involved in grassroots development with Oakville Soccer and the Ontario Soccer Association. Part of DeVos' mandate is to "enhance player and coaching development systems."

Colin Elmes, coach of the TSS Academy in Richmond, is also hopeful that DeVos will make some changes — but admits it won't be easy.

"I think Jason is a very good candidate for that, but he's got a lot of work to do and a mountain to climb," said Elmes.

Jason deVos is the new director of development for Soccer Canada. ((Gary Prior/Getty Images) )

Elmes is also critical of the country's coaching system.

He says that the bulk of Canada's highest certified coaches (he estimate's there's 60 A-licensed coaches nationwide) aren't focused on teaching young players — a job that often gets relegated to parents who approach the role without the knowledge and technique required to foster elite talent.

"The actual problem starts down at the younger ages. You get a 12-year-old kid coming into a high-performance soccer environment and his technical ability — not through lack of his own effort — is way behind the rest of the world at that level," said Elmes.

"If we start getting it right tomorrow — which we won't — but if we did, this is a 10-year plan to solve the problem," he said, adding that the focus needs to be on players that are eight to 12-years-old.

No National League

Another issue Elmes highlights is the lack of a Canadian men's league.

"A lot of people will say we fail because we have no professional league in this country, and I would say that's probably true," said Elmes.

Canada currently has teams that compete in Major League Soccer and the North American Soccer League; however, they are international leagues, meaning Canadian players need to compete with players from other countries for a spot on a team.

Critics believe a national league would give Canadian players more opportunities to compete in a professional environment.

With files from CBC's The Early Edition

To listen to the full interview, click on the audio labelled: Canadian soccer trainer Mark Rogers on what needs to change for the men's national team