Once again, an age group Australian team - this time the under-23s - were weighed in the balance against Asian opposition, and once again found wanting.

The latest under-23 group (who will form the basis of the Olyroos squad that seeks to qualify for the 2020 Olympics) lost 3-2 to South Korea in the early hours of Thursday morning in an AFC Championship game, a result that rather flattered them considering they had been 3-0 down with 25 minutes of the game remaining.

That followed a 1-0 loss to Vietnam in the second game of the tournament, a result that always meant qualifying for the knockout stage was going to be difficult, despite a win in the opening game over Syria.

This tournament might have been dismissed as inconsequential by A-League clubs angry at losing players for a couple of weeks, but the poor outcome will have ramifications.

The failure will mean Australia are now likely to receive a lower seeding for the Olympic qualifying tournament.

That means that they will almost inevitably be drawn in a tougher qualifying group, making it even harder for this country to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since Beijing 2008.

Mind you, that's probably just about what Australia deserve.

Long gone are the days when a bigger, stronger, physically quicker and more developed Australian team could brush off their Asian challengers.

No longer do Asian rivals look at Australia and see an all-powerful entity. Nowadays they see a team that is eminently beatable.

The team that kicked off against the South Koreans is a case in point.

They are not bad players - several have had some experience in the A-League and a few (Riley McGree, Ajdin Hrustic, Alex Gersbach and Daniel De Silva) have even been involved in senior Socceroos squads.

But they were simply not good enough against a nation that consistently produces good-quality players and makes a habit of qualifying for world cups and performing creditably at international tournaments.

There are myriad reasons for Australia's continuing failure, which is not a new experience. As long ago as 2007, former Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou was sacked as coach of the underage teams because of a relative lack of success, replaced in his job in February that year after the Young Socceroos failed to make the 2007 under-20 World Cup.

It's popular, but simplistic, to look for easy explanations. There are a number of factors contributing to the current malaise.

Some will point to the national development curriculum for junior soccer implemented by the FFA when it was under a heavy Dutch influence and argue that the mantra for possession-based soccer has put a premium on ball retention without any emphasis on penetration or using the ball effectively or in dangerous areas.

Others will argue that not enough young players get chances in the A-League, and that hinders their development.

More will point to other nations spending proportionately far more on development than Australia and being rewarded in kind.

What can't be denied is that in almost every other Asian country soccer is the only game in town and thus all the best athletes are playing it - unlike here, where talented sportsmen and women can have their pick of potential professional careers in at least four codes of football.

There is no doubt that an increase in the number of clubs playing professionally in this country would help enormously, as it would create more opportunities and widen the pathway for talented players.

Too many are simply not getting enough game time in the crucial 18-21 development window as A-League coaches are largely risk-averse.

If there were more teams in the A-League (at least another four) and a second division (run on fully professional lines, albeit with lower salaries and costs) then there would be far more opportunities for good young players to get the exposure to hard-edged, competitive league soccer where results matter and points gained or dropped can mean the difference between a championship, a promotion place or avoiding relegation.

That might not be an immediate panacea, but it would surely help create a far more ruthless and hard-nosed culture and make Australia's talented teens and early 20-somethings much more street smart.

In the short term - at least while the A-League remains a 10-team competition - a cut in the number of foreign visa spots would help a little.

If clubs were only allowed to sign three foreigners, or perhaps three plus an Asian player, rather than the current five that would open up a handful of extra spots that younger players could at least strive for.

There is a revolution going on in the game in Asia.

Unless things improve in this country and Australia can match the rate of development and progress being made throughout the region, qualifying for major competitions may become the exception rather than the rule.