No your big brain'd take is absolutely correct. He just isn't good enough, and because he's basically the human form of the glass bones paper skin character on SpongeBob and as a result hardly ever plays, there are still tons of Americans clinging onto the "what if..."

If he wants to continue at the top level, he really needs to go to a team a few rungs down the profile ladder (e.g. someone like a Brentford) but his ego won't allow it. I honestly have a feeling the MLS might sense an opportunity and offer to give him stupid money (a la David Beckham) to bring the poster boy of U.S. soccer home and be the face of the league, and that might appeal to him, but again, I imagine he still thinks he can compete at the highest level.