The USA qualified for the U-20 World Cup for the second straight time during the tenure of Coach Tab Ramos, who took over after the USA missed the 2011 U-20 World Cup. We spoke to Ramos, who also serves as U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director, about the team's performance at the U-20 Concacaf Championship in Jamaica, the progress of players from his 2013 team, and American youth player development.

I was part of a panel at the US Youth Soccer Workshop at the NSCAA Convention: "Youth Soccer in the Real World: Issues faced by a Modern Day Club Director of Coaching."

When I watch a soccer game on TV, I "referee" it. Sometimes instant replay confirms that I was correct and sometimes it does not.

Paul Breitner, famous for scoring in two World Cup finals, including in West Germany's 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in 1974, is at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia as brand ambassador for Bayern Munich, the club with which he won five Bundesliga titles and a European Cup. Last year, Bayern Munich opened a New York office and launched a partnership with Global Premier Soccer (GPS).

In Part 2 of our interview on the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, Director of Scouting Tony Lepore addresses the quest to improve the coaching of elite players in the USA

The U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which launched in 2007, now comprises 100 clubs. We checked in with Director of Scouting Tony Lepore on the state of the Academy and U.S. Soccer's new youth initiatives, which include increased financial aid and adding a U-12 program in 2016.

Soccer came into Joe Cummings' life in 1959 when he was a 10-year-old at a Massachusetts elementary school and a teacher, Arthur Mulrain, started an after-school soccer program.

Gedion Zelalem, the 17-year-old Arsenal prospect who recently committed to the U.S. national team program, moved to Maryland from his native Germany at age 9. Prior to joining Arsenal's youth program shortly before his 16th birthday, he starred for the Olney Rangers under coach Matt Pilkington.