• Didier Drogba refused to speak to the media following his first game in Montreal, and he might draw a rare media-related fine from the MLS office for the offense. The same weekend, Sky Sports (UK) reporter Geoff Shreeves wrote an article describing his wonderment that the Los Angeles Galaxy let him talk to players at practice and at the end of games, and let him have access to the locker room postgame — all things that are more or less standard issue in American sports. It was a reminder that Drogba was still operating under the rules of the rest of the soccer world, which is more used to places like Notts County, an English fourth-division team. Last week, Notts attempted to ban the Nottingham Post from covering games — for the crime of reporting unflattering quotes from the manager's weekly news conference.

• Ottawa and New York did Minnesota United a standings-related favor Wednesday, playing out a boring 0-0 draw in Ottawa to ensure both teams gained only a single point in the standings. The NASL fall season is nearing its midpoint, with Minnesota a point behind New York and five back of Ottawa, but United has one advantage for the stretch run: Seven of its final 11 games are at home, including four of its final five.

• Premier League teams need to complete all of their summer transfers by Tuesday, meaning that the rumor mill is running at full tilt. The best rumor of the week might have been the one that had Manchester United spending more than $300 million — three times the current world record — to get striker Neymar from Barcelona. Things get crazy this time of year, but that might be the most outlandish transfer rumor of all time.

• The National Women's Soccer League announced its championship game would be played in Portland, Ore., instead of the home field of the best team and on a Thursday, rather than a weekend. Changing these things barely six weeks ahead of the final may be controversial, but playing the final at the home of the world's best-supported women's soccer team and on a night it can be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, seems like a good move for the fledgling league.