After watching Jamaica's impressive 2-1 win over the United States in their 2015 Gold Cup semi-final game, I am convinced that, for the first time since the nation's France '98 campaign, we have a crop of players with the requisite quality to make us proud on the big stage.

What impressed me most was not the fact that we won the game, but that, for the first time in many years, I was seeing a Jamaican team which was not in awe of the United States. The team played without fear and I believe that rattled the Americans.

The passion with which the team attacked and defended for the vast majority of the game reminded me in many ways of the robust service we got from the likes of the late Peter Cargill and Stephen 'Shorty' Malcolm, and the disciplined front-line play of Robbie Earle and Deon Burton in the 1998 World Cup campaign.

While I really don't want to be accused of 'dissing' our local players, I strongly believe that, had we not invested in the overseas players, especially those from Britain, we would not be doing so well, because, talent aside, it is their professionalism that is making the difference.

As I have stated many times in this column, I have very little respect for the local Red Stripe Premier League Football (RSPL) Competition, because, as far as I am concerned, it is substandard and clearly lacking in the capacity for players to grow, realise their full potential and become world-class.

When I look at the tremendous improvement players such as Darren Mattocks, Je-vaughn Watson and even skipper Rodolph Austin have made since they have started plying their trade overseas, I am absolutely convinced that had more local players been playing overseas instead of in the local National Premiere League (NPL), our football status would probably be as high as our track and field status.

I hope that now that coach Winfried Schäfer has pretty much demonstrated that he, too, is not impressed by the NPL players, having not accorded them any playing time in either the Copa America Tournament or the Gold Cup, that will be the cue to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) that it is time to implement the proposed franchise system.

As I have stated many times in this column, I simply can't wait to see the JFF biting the bullet and putting a franchise system of no more than eight teams in place to replace the NPL. Like the Caribbean Premier League, which is driving new life into West Indies cricket, I believe a franchise system, featuring the best players in Jamaica, alongside quality players from across the CONCACAF region, would be the ideal situation.

I am, absolutely convinced that, if the best of our local players are involved in a high-quality league, featuring top-quality professional players from within CONCACAF, the scope for development would be so great that we would be able to produce players on par with those we are now recruiting from overseas.

Since we have not been bold enough to challenge the status quo and dump the RSPL, I am hoping that coach Schäfer will continue to invest in the overseas-based players, who have shown that, once the required chemistry is generated through the players playing together regularly, they are the ones most deserving of representing Jamaica.

As things are at present, it really doesn't matter to me if we go on to win the Gold Cup, although that would be nice. My focus is on the big picture, which, to me, is to once again qualify for the World Cup. Deep down, I believe that, with the addition of one or two quality strikers, this team could get us there.

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