Pitch Invasion

When MLS and Bundesliga tied up a partnership last season, most people saw it as a good thing. MLS would learn from the Bundesliga and every forward thinking international football fan recognised MLS had picked perhaps the most supporter-friendly league in Europe to partner with. But now it looks like the transatlantic influence will push the other way, as Los Angeles-based Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) push for a change that could transform the Bundesliga, and probably for the worse from a supporters’ perspective.

Away support in MLS will be under the spotlight soon when Toronto take a couple of thousand fans to Columbus for their season opener. Yet Toronto’s own front office is restricting away travel to BMO Field from opponents, and MLS headquarters seems disinterested in doing anything to assist those who want to journey to watch their team. What’s the way forward?

It’s been bubbling under the surface for a while now. The collapse of Fifa’s former marketing partners ISL/ISMM almost seven years ago is soon to be dragged through the courts in Switzerland — the scandalous and hugely costly fall of ISL/ISMM almost brought down Blatter at the time, and there’s a chance senior FIFA executives could be named as having taken bribes. It might get ugly for Sepp Blatter.

Game 39 rumbles on, soccer returns to Philly, and why Americans are playing the wrong kind of indoor football.

• What the Premier League really thinks of you [200percent]
• 10 injuries players would rather forget [Some People Are On The Pitch]
• American soccer needs more futsal [The Fanhouse]
• Welcoming soccer back to Philly [Philly.com]
• Chelsea and Man Utd knew about 39th game [Daily Mail]

Who will “own” Liverpool this time next year? Since controversy erupted at Anfield over the club’s ownership, two supporter-run schemes have emerged to try and take back some control of events. We look at the progress so far of Share Liverpool FC and AFC Liverpool.