Every few years, the sports media gets itself into a frenzy talking about how soccer has finally made it in North America. Most sources point to the fact that Americans are increasingly interested in the World Cup or other international tournaments such as the Copa America.

However, does interest in periodic major events really signal that soccer has finally arrived as a major sport in the USA?

Typically, player salaries are a set percentage of league revenues. This means that the higher a player salary is, the more a league is making overall.

Currently, the average salary for an MLS player is a healthy $316,777.33. However, the median salary is only $117,000, which means the typical soccer player could make more as an NFL referee or as an assistant coach at a major college program.

While some of the top international players in the league can make more than $6 million a year, it's clear that most players still toil in relative obscurity and aren't as highly valued as players in hockey, baseball or football.

The 2016 MLS Cup garnered a 1.0 rating overall. To put that number in perspective, the final game of the 2016 World Series drew a 25.2 rating. However, it managed to draw a 9.9 rating in Seattle.

While it helps that the hometown Sounders were playing for the league title, cities such as Seattle and Portland are well-known as soccer hotbeds. Columbus is another city that loves soccer and routinely hosts matches involving the U.S. national team.

There is no one currently playing for the American national team who is anywhere near the skills of a Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. This is partially because the best American athletes play basketball or football instead of soccer.

But it's also because Americans are behind elite teams in the world when it comes to tactics and dedication to the game. The U.S. Men's National Team is currently ranked 28th in the world.

At best, U.S. soccer can be compared to a mid-major in college basketball. While we may be able to beat an elite team every so often, we can still be beaten by smaller countries like Jamaica or Costa Rica.

It seems clear that until the American side can obtain and maintain a top ranking in the world, most people won't care about soccer when the World Cup isn't on.

There is no doubt that soccer is more popular in America today than it was 20 years ago. However, that hasn't translated to an increase in talent or an increase in respect for the American brand of soccer.

While it may well carve out a niche for itself in the American sports landscape, it won't draw 100 million television viewers like the Super Bowl does or become a significant part of our sports culture.

The real question remains on whether the current big four sports - football, baseball, basketball and hockey - will be joined by a fifth or whether one of them will drop back. It seems an eternal question, but baseball held the position at the very top for many decades and was only joined by the others after the TV era began.

The challenge for soccer may be that it's not as TV-friendly an offering as the other sports that gained national cultural stature since the early 1950s.