The tide of red cards so many predicted washed ashore at the World Cup. And they're not blaming El Nino, they're blaming El Presidente.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter and French organizing committee chairman Michel Platini criticized referees for not being tough enough, particularly on tackles from behind and time-wasting. The refs took the words to heart and, on Thursday, five red cards were issued in two games - one more than in the first eight days and 20 games of the tournament.The home team's biggest star, Zinedine Zidane, was among those kicked out.
"I think what they said was ridiculous," Danish defender Marc Rieper said after Denmark's 1-1 tie with South Africa, a match with three ejections and seven cautions. "Referees have been very good so far and it is a very stupid comment that he has made. I don't know if he is trying to ruin the tournament that he made himself, and kill the football game."
Two more ejections and four more yellows followed in France's 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, a win that moved the host nation into the second round and made the Saudis the first team eliminated.
Today, FIFA said referees might have overreacted to Blatter's com-ments.
"That is a conclusion that one could draw," FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper said.
He said acting general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen and outgoing president Joao Havelange would meet with the refs to try to sort out the confusion.
DENMARK 1, SOUTH AFRICA 1: Colombian referee John Jairo Toro tossed three players out in Toulouse, the most controversial when he expelled Danish defender Morten Wieghorst for bumping forward Benni McCarthy in the back and knocking him down.
"The guy hardly even touched me," McCarthy said. "The referee went out of his way to give him a red card and I am sure that was a very silly - a stupid - decision from the referee."
Wieghorst entered the game in the 82nd and left in the 85th.
Before Weighorst, Danish substitute Miklos Molnar left in the 67th, two minutes before South African midfielder Alfred Phiri.
The Danes got a goal when Allan Nielsen volleyed home a cross from Brian Laudrup in the 13th minute. McCarthy finished off a series of touches from John Moshoeu and Shaun Bartlett in the 53rd for South Africa's first World Cup goal.
FRANCE 4, SAUDI ARABIA 0: In Saint-Denis, the French capitalized on their man advantage after Mohammed al-Khilaiwi was expelled in the 19th minute, getting goals from Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet in the 68th.
But even after Zidane was sent off in the 70th for stepping on Saudi captain Fuad Amin, the French added two more: a second by Henry and a finale by Bizente Lizarazu.