One of the teenagers Toby Rappolt hired to work at Sunset Soccer Supply was an ethnic Armenian who fled Uzbekistan with his mother in 1991 and settled in San Francisco. The boy hardly spoke English but Rappolt figured his love of soccer and enthusiasm for the opportunity would see him through.

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Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla has written freelance articles about soccer for more than 30 media outlets in nine nations. The winner of eight United Soccer Coaches Writing Contest awards,...