I totally agree with what you say and I stick to what I say every year after the American team got beaten in the MC:
The professional structure of pool leagues in Europe, and espacially Germany, is the driving factor for the consistent high performance of European pool players over the last two decades long before the professional structure by the WNT was established. There's a reason for that, that top pool players from all across Europe like Feijen, Filler, Lechner, Hohmann, Souquet, Bijsterbosch are/were attracted by the German Bundesliga. It's still the most competitive structure for pool billiard in Europe! This professional organisation of sports favours the natural outcome of skilled players...in any sport.
And as far as I see it, that's not the way how sport development works in the US.
in my experience, this structure benefit is true in some countries but not in others. here in sweden, yes good structure (but long travel distances). in UK, where shaw hails from, they have/had very poor structure for american pool. albania i wouldn't know but i would be surprised if they had a great structure. still produced kaci(s).
best country for an upcoming pool player in europe is probably the netherlands, with good structure, close to germany, tough competition and very short distance between cities within the country.