Honestly, you can make arguments that MLS is rapidly encroaching on NHL's popularity in the US.

OP your rules will never come true and they are pretty horrible to be honest with you.

If you want football to become one of NA's biggest sport I think the USA National team need to win a world cup.

But of course that will never happen.

Never is a long time.  Any time soon is very unlikely, but who knows what the world and football will look like in 30 years or so.

Never ever, is simply not going to happen, not only the USA has to overcome Europe but South America as well.

The fact that CONCACAF is a weak federation all around doesn't help the US case at all.

so you'd like them to play another game then.

Do you see any first time WC winners in next five World Cups?

Colombia, Chile and Belgium all have a nice chance to achieve it, depending on how their young players develop.

You can't just change the rules of soccer to make it more popular. On the other hand, I wish basketball was more popular in Europe.

It doesn't matter what you do, soccer will never be popular in the U.S..

I fail to see how this huge variable applies to them, but it becomes impossible for the US.  I would argue those three countries and the US all have equal shot at winning a World Cup in next five cycles. All being low, but also pretty close.