Cannon fodder: Slow News Day

It's Friday, and you know what that means. No, really, do you? because I'm wondering. Anyway! Here's what the world of soccer has oozed forth this morning.

ENGLAND:

Jan Vertonghen said he's not leaving Spurs this summer. Hmmm. That sounds kinda familiar. Where have we heard that before?

The Football League is adopting a version of the NFL's Rooney Rule in order to greater diversify its coaching ranks.

One of Chelsea's finest away supporters, who racially abused a bystander in the Paris metro after a Chelsea Champions League game, is challenging his subsequent banishment from all football grounds.

EUROPE/WORLD:

There's one more game on the European club calendar this season, and it's tomorrow's Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus. Who is one of the key players in the final? Unexpectedly, it's Carlos Tevez.

FIFA is being dismantled crook by crook, which is good. A lot of light has been shone on federations and their graft, and their role in awarding World Cups, which is also good. But one of the best things to be uncovered by the ongoing investigation into FIFA's "business practices" is this rather mundane piece of business from a few years ago. It's this kind of corruption that's arguably worse for the game.

Nike has been entangled in this mess because they were naive about how the business of soccer got done.

The Women's World Cup kicks off tomorrow! Here's a guide to it, from the mothership.

MLS/US:

This summer's Gold Cup is rapidly approaching, and the US men's team is playing a friendly against the Dutch today as a tuneup.

David Beckham just won't go away. Now he's hyping the soccer skills of his daughter, three-year-old Harper.

Retired Mets catcher Mike Piazza wants to buy Parma, apparently.