Liverpool face FA rap over dismissal

SOCCERLIVERPOOL'S JAVIER Mascherano is likely to face an English Football Association charge and an increased suspension for his furious reaction to being sent off at Manchester United yesterday. The midfielder was dismissed in the 43rd minute as United won 3-0 and increased their lead in the Premier League to five points.

United's dominant performance was overshadowed by an injury to Wayne Rooney which may result in his absence from England's friendly against France on Wednesday and by the extraordinary loss of self-control by Mascherano.

Already booked for a 10th-minute lunge on Paul Scholes, the 23-year-old Argentinian raced 20 yards to question Steve Bennett's decision to book Fernando Torres for dissent and received an identical punishment from the referee.

The red card for two bookable offences means he is suspended for Sunday's derby against Everton but his reaction, refusing to leave the pitch and haranguing Bennett before being ushered down the tunnel by Peter Crouch and a physio, invited further punishment.

Only last week the FA appealed for greater respect for referees after Ashley Cole's insolence to Mike Riley when being booked at Tottenham Hotspur and it can charge Mascherano with improper conduct despite his dismissal. A guilty verdict would attract an extended suspension and possible fine for a player who had been integral to Liverpool's recent revival.

"He knows he made a mistake," said Rafael Benitez. "But to have that decision in a big game like this is difficult to understand. I spoke to him in Spanish. He kept telling me, 'I didn't say anything', but I had to tell him it was over, finished. Mascherano is a fantastic professional and has been playing at the maximum level for years. He did not understand why he had been sent off. I just told him, 'It's finished'."

The Liverpool manager had to placate Mascherano after team-mates and coaches failed to curb the midfielder's rising anger at Bennett, who had been the fourth official at White Hart Lane last Wednesday.

"It was a mistake to try to ask the referee having already been booked. He doesn't know the referees," added Benitez.

"The player told me that he was asking what happened, and Ryan Babel told me the same, and to get sent off for that made him really, really surprised. He could not understand why. The player knows he made a mistake but in this kind of big game it is wrong to leave a team with just 10 players because one of them asked why."

Asked whether he feared the FA would make an example of Mascherano, Benitez said: "The player was only asking. I don't think to ask is a big problem."

Alex Ferguson took a different view, saying the referee had no option but to dismiss the midfielder. "Dissent is dissent. I don't know why Mascherano came from central midfield to argue with the referee. With all the things that have happened this week with Ashley Cole, there has been a lot of attention on dissent and this was dissent."

United had been the superior side before Mascherano's expulsion, leading through a Wes Brown goal, and dominated thereafter, their profligacy sparing Liverpool until Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 34th goal of the season and Nani delivered an emphatic victory.

"The sending-off gave us control of the game but we were the better team anyway," said Ferguson. "Rooney had three one-on-ones and Ronaldo missed two excellent chances. We played really well. We did our job."

"We've seen a team mature over the last six months and today they hit their high peak," said Ferguson.

Rooney ended the game nursing a knee injury which could prompt his withdrawal from Wednesday's friendly in Paris, although he did report for England duty. Torres is expected to miss Spain's friendly against Italy having been substituted because of rib and ankle injuries.

Rooney was, naturally, delighted with the win. "It's always nice to beat Liverpool and it's opened up a bit of a gap now at the top of the league.

"We know it's in our hands now - we have to try and win as many games as possible and stay top of the league.

"We've got a good mix in the dressingroom and we know what we have to do between now and the end of the season."