Since the introduction of the Development Academy in 2006, Tony Lepore has been an integral figure for the league. He had many roles over the years, but his task has been simplified in the past year. Lepore is the Director of Talent Identification, which is a task that expands past the Federation’s league and into the many nooks and crannies of U.S. Youth Soccer. 

Lepore sat down with TopDrawerSoccer for a 30-minute interview during the Development Academy Winter Showcase in December. In part one of the interview, Lepore discusses the player identification process, the steps to a national team call-up, and the role of the Winter Showcase for the scouting network. 

U.S. Soccer Scouting Interview: Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V