Not sure the whole big crowds at or revenue arguments hold water....
Man United along with Barca and Real Madrid played around 30 home matches last season, and all three teams average 70000+ in terms of home attendances.
United have a 76K capacity stadium, and it is sold out every week, for not just 7/8 home games a season, but 18 in the league + 6-7 in the CL + 2-3 FA Cup + 2-3 Carling Cup. A comparison with MLB crowds would be better, with their 80 odd home games.
Nothing comparing to BCS bowl games or Championship decider, I'd say the UEFA CL Final compares to it very well...attendance, revenue, viewership, broadcast rights, hype, media frenzy.
All that aside, the US can't build a star, because well...it will and it takes time.
Giusseppe Rossi- striker for Villareal is now a genuine star in Europe, with Barca even sniffing around, and a regular for the Italian national team...but those who know of him, will also know, he is one that got away, his old man immigrated to the US years and years ago, Rossi was born in the US, and lived in Jersey till he was a teenager, and then shifted to europe to further his football career, well he made it, but then used his dual nationality to declare for Italy, and not the nation of his birth.
Neven Subotic - defender for Borussia Dortmund is another who is a major star in Germany now, and has some of the biggest teams in Europe keeping tabs on him. Born in the Balkans, he immigrated to the US when he was barely 9-10, then came through the US football system, and represented the US in the under 17 and Under 20 levels, but when it came to declare his senior eligibility decided to ditch the US and go with Serbia.
That's two players, one a genuinely world class player, and the other not too far from it who would have been shoe ins for the national side, and in key positions(Rossi to be the center forward instead of donkeys like Altidore) and Subotic to be the rock at the back.
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