Rooney suspended

BERLIN: Striker Wayne Rooney was suspended for two international matches and fined $4,085 by a FIFA disciplinary panel that reviewed his ejection from England’s World Cup quarter-final loss to Portugal. Rooney was given a red card for stomping on a Portugal player. He denied it was intentional. In other punishments announced on Saturday, two Argentina players were suspended for their parts in a skirmish that followed their quarter-final loss to Germany. Leandro Cufre was banned for four matches and fined $8,170 and Maxi Rodriguez was suspended for two matches and fined $4,085.

Tough line

BERLIN: The number of head injuries at the World Cup has been reduced because referees have taken a tough line on elbowing, FIFA Chief Medical Officer Jiri Dvorak said. There have been just 11 head injuries at the 62 games so far, compared with 25 at the 2002 World Cup. “This is due to the fact that referees are sanctioning elbowing incidents with the red card,” said Dvorak, who is a neurologist by profession.The toughest penalty was handed down to Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who was sent off and then banned for four international matches for elbowing US striker Brian McBride in the face in a first-round match. Dvorak reported that the average number of injuries of any sort had fallen to 2.2 per match at this World Cup from 2.7 per match in 2002.

Final reparations

BERLIN: An 11-year-old German boy, who suffered concussion when a car ploughed through Berlin’s Fan Mile a week ago, has received two tickets for Sunday’s final between France and Italy from the city’s mayor. “The final is a moment he will remember forever,” mayor Klaus Wowereit said. The boy was the most badly injured of 26 people hurt when a car burst through security barriers at the Fan Mile. The driver of the car is receiving psychiatric treatment.

Doping-free WC

BERLIN: Every drugs test has produced a negative result for the third consecutive World Cup, FIFA Chief Medical Officer Jiri Dvorak said on Saturday. Two players have been tested after each match, with urine samples analysed and testing for the endurance-booster EPO also carried out. Dvorak said FIFA no longer tested blood samples because “there is no scientific evidence that blood samples offer any additional information or give any additional proof” than urine testing.

Mascot sales up

BERLIN: More than a million dolls or toys featuring Goleo, the shaggy lion mascot of the World Cup, have been sold during the month-long tournament, German toymakers Nici said. The two best-selling versions of the mascot have been a key holder and a stuffed toy measuring about 10 inches. Nici has suffered severe financial problems since paying $35 million to win the license to produce Goleo. The increased sales came too late to prevent the company laying off 120 workers in a bid to stay afloat.