Monday cannon fodder: perplexing confrontation

Premier League/England

Peter Crouch, the affable beanpole who won over fans everywhere | Paul Wilson | Football | The Guardian
The former England striker, who has retired at 38, made the best of an unusual skill-set and took the robot dance back to the masses.

Steve Bruce confirms Newcastle talks after confrontation with angry fan | Football | The Guardian
Steve Bruce has confirmed he has held talks with Newcastle about succeeding Rafael Benítez as manager.

When Saturday Comes - Sheffield fans suffer under South Yorkshire Police’s perplexing policies
Disproportionately stringent scheduling and crowd control measures have made fixtures between United and Wednesday the most expensive to police in the country.

Manchester City are favourites to win the Champions League. But should they be? | Paul Wilson | Football | The Guardian
City are serial winners with a great manager and squad but their short price is unusual when they have never reached the final.

Europe

Mauro Icardi: Inter Milan striker agrees to leave training camp - BBC Sport
Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi agrees to leave the club’s training camp and not travel on their summer tour of Asia.

MLS/Americas

USA 94 – 25 years on: football’s evolution captivates the world | Football | The Guardian
Italy’s heartbreak and Brazil’s mastery are memorable moments of an event that proved a catalyst for the game’s global expansion.

Herd Of Orlando City Fans Stampedes To Opposite Side Of Stadium To Heckle NYCFC
This happened last week, but it’s still cool.

AFCON/Rest of the World

Algeria beat Nigeria to reach AFCON final - BBC Sport
Riyad Mahrez scores a stunning free-kick in injury time as Algeria beat Nigeria to reach the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Senegal reach final with victory over Tunisia - BBC Sport
Senegal reach the Africa Cup of Nations final for the second time.

Other

Man Utd tour: Is Australia’s A-League about to take off? - BBC Sport
BBC Sport talks to Perth Glory’s owner about his ambitious plans for Australian domestic football.

How player power became a ‘thing’ – and why it’s now terrifyingly acceptable in football | FourFourTwo
Now, footballers refuse to turn up in hope of landing a bigger pay day somewhere else. But it wasn’t always that way.

Keeping Pace: In Conversation with Mirelle van Rijbroek - Howler Magazine
We talked to US Soccer’s Director of Talent Identification for Girls and Women to see where the USWNT goes from here.