Pitch Invasion

Today, MLS Commissioner Don Garber gets nasty, grassroots football is thriving in Liverpool, and we find out just how many people actually attend MLS games in Columbus.

Slow times as the summer transfer season rolls on, with little on the field action to distract from the rumours. Milan snap up Ronaldinho, probably worth a pop at the price of a Darren Bent, while the Drogba and Berbatov sagas roll on interminably.
Well, there is the Intertoto Cup coming back. . .
Americas

Superliga kicked back [...]

Transfer rumours continue to dominate the daily press in Europe, but there’s plenty of things actually worth talking about going on elsewhere. Still, as ever, Soccerlens has an excellent round-up of the rumours, the juiciest of which is perhaps Sid Lowe’s report of Robinho’s interest in a move to Chelsea for what would apparently be [...]

The Daily Sweeper is a new feature, that will be on trial until the end of July. It will replace the occasional It’s In the Inter(net) links roundup with more depth and the odd bit of analysis, whilst also providing a return for Photo Daily at the bottom. The links will focus on football culture and news around the world from blogs and the mainstream press. Please feel free to drop your own links and thoughts on the day’s news and articles in the comments, and let me know if you like the feature or not.

In two weeks, viewers in the U.S. will be able to tune in to ESPN and watch the future of American soccer. Almost a year after its founding, the US Soccer Development Academy — consisting of 64 teams from across the country — will showcase its best eight teams at U-18 and U-16 levels in front of the television cameras for its inaugural national finals. How has this new venture fared in its first year?

Somehow, they did it. Given many people around the world didn’t get to see it, it seems only fitting to feature the Germans watching and celebrating the game.

Paul Ince might be the first British black manager in the Premier League, but does that really solve the institutional block to black managers in the English game?

When Russia and the Netherlands square off today, there will be more than a semi-final birth at Euro 2008 at stake: the rhetorical prize of being today’s instantiation of Total Football is also on the line.

Around the soccer blogosphere, Euro 2008 & more.

• HEGS Argentinian awards - vote now! (Hasta El Gol Siempre)
• Barbadas national team accepting applications (Deadspin)
• Which is better: football on TV or in person? (Soccerlens)
• Euro 2008: parade of passion (Don Rodriguez)
• Iran’s President & their World Cup campaign (So Many Balls)
• Leigh Genesis? Ruining a Victorian team name (I’ll Be Off)
• Euro 2008 running like clockwork (EPL Talk)
• Goodbye Blue Moon (Guardian)
• Altidore’s playlist (Offside Rules)