Football / World Cup USA '94: US in dark over cards

(First Edition)

PLAYERS from the United States team are angry with the US Soccer Federation because it failed to tell them that two yellow cards in separate first-round games would result in a one-game suspension.

John Harkes will miss the Americans' second-round game because he got his second yellow card in Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Romania.

'It's embarrassing, actually, to tell you the truth,' Alexi Lalas, the American defender said. 'It's the rules of the game. It doesn't matter what your experience is or how many World Cups you played in, at the very least you should know the rules of the tournament you're in and we didn't'

The United States went through to the second round as one of the four best third-placed teams after the group E matches were completed. Only a bizarre series of results would have prevented the Americans from advancing for the first time since 1930.

Germany's 3-2 victory over South Korea on Monday ensured that if the Americans do advance, they will play either Brazil or Sweden at Stanford Stadium in San Francisco on Monday.

'We proved that anything can happen in the World Cup,' Lalas said, 'and now we don't want 'anything' to happen.'

Most of the team's discussion on Monday centred around the yellow card controversy. Hank Steinbrecher, the USSF executive director, and Bill Nuttall, the general manager, both misunderstood the rule and Nuttall took responsibility for not informing the players.

The USSF's appeal over the yellow card given to Harkes by the referee, Mario van der Ende of the Netherlands, for not moving a two-man wall 10 yards from a free-kick, was made after the deadline of one hour following the game and was denied by FIFA.

'The film clearly shows that Harkes and (Mike) Sorber had not moved from the spot the referee designated,' Nuttall said.

Harkes said no one on the US staff had warned him that a second yellow card would result in a suspension.