Just hours after FIFA admitted mistakes have been made in the way officials have handed out red cards, two more were assessed in a wild 2-2 tie Saturday between Mexico and Belgium.
FIFA stressed that the high number of red cards shown Thursday - three in the Denmark-South Africa match and two in the France-Saudi Arabia game - was not a response to pressure from the organization's new president, Sepp Blatter, for a crackdown on rough play. But several representatives of soccer's international governing body made a visit to the referees' compound on Friday (when no red cards were given) and FIFA's acting general secretary, Michael Zen Ruffinen, acknowledged some referees had problems with "disciplinary actions" after calling a free kick - "whether to show a red card or a yellow card or no card," he said.Referee Hugh Dallas of Scotland had no trouble deciding, and the expulsions played a huge role in the Belgium-Mexico tie in Group E. Marc Wilmots scored both of his goals with Belgium holding a manpower edge after Pavel Pardo was thrown out. But the game turned when Gert Verheyen brought down Ramon Ramirez in front of the net. Not only was Verheyen ejected, but Alberto Garcia Aspe converted the penalty kick in the 56th minute.
Seven minutes later, Cuauhtemoc Blanco tied it.
"If we lead 2-0, we should never give that away," Belgium defender Franky Van der Elst said.
In the other afternoon game Saturday, Croatia edged Japan 1-0. At night, the Netherlands routed South Korea 5-0, eliminating the Asian team.
The focal point of the weekend, of course, is today's much-hyped meeting between the United States and Iran. Fans from both sides were filing into Lyon well ahead of the politically charged game.
"It is imperative that we win against the USA," Iran forward Khodadad Azizi said. "For historical reasons, our country is a lot more sensitive to this meeting. Iran has been disappointed by Americans politics in recent years. This is the most important match of my life."
It's the most significant game of the World Cup for both teams because a loss virtually guarantees an early exit.
All eyes are on England's fans after dozens of hooligans were arrested last week in three days of violence between English and Tunisian fans in Marseille. On Saturday, French and British police officers checked vehicles entering the city, looking for known troublemakers.
BELGIUM 2, MEXICO 2: Pardo was expelled in the 29th minute and Wilmots scored late in the first half and early in the second. But then came the Belgian ejection, and Mexico surged back.
The Mexicans have four points in the group and Belgium has two.
NETHERLANDS 5, SOUTH KOREA 0: Dennis Bergkamp, starting his first game in two months after a hamstring injury, had a goal and an assist in the romp.
Phillip Cocu and Marc Overmars fired the Netherlands into a 2-0 halftime lead before Bergkamp, Pierre van Hooydonk and Ronald de Boer added three more in the last 18 minutes as the Dutch posted the biggest score of this World Cup.
The South Koreans never have won a World Cup game in five trips.
CROATIA 1, JAPAN 0: Davor Suker, denied repeatedly by off-target shots and wasted opportunities, finally came through in the blazing midafternoon heat. His second goal at the World Cup, in the 77th minute, was the difference as Croatia, with six points, moved to the verge of advancing.