SEEING RED Mastroeni sending off only low for U.S.
Hard-nosed defending and a little too much gamesmanship earned Pablo Mastroeni two yellow cards and an ejection against Argentina on Sunday. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Dylan Butler
BigAppleSoccer.com Associate Editor
East Rutherford, N.J. – On a night of highs, perhaps the only low for the U.S. national team in a scoreless draw against top-ranked Argentina at steamy Giants Stadium Sunday was the sending off of Pablo Mastroeni in the second half.
Mastroeni was already booked by El Salvadorian referee Joel Aguilar Chicas on the hour mark when he was shown a red card after a second bookable offense 11 minutes later. Maurice Edu received a yellow card on a tackle and Argentina was preparing to take a free kick.
Before play resumed, Chicas ran to Mastroeni and showed a second yellow and then a red, much to the Colorado Rapids defender's shock.
“The reason why he said he gave me a second yellow was for throwing the ball to a teammate of mine,” Mastroeni said. “It was really strange because they were making a substitution and it wasn’t like they could play the ball fast or anything.”
It was a red card that certainly perplexed the rest of the U.S. national team.
“I was told after the foul that Pablo picked up the ball and threw it at Danny Califf just to buy a little bit of time,” U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley said. “You never know for sure. But part of you thinks the referee at that moment didn’t realize he had already given him a yellow card. I could be wrong, but that’s what you always kind of sense.”
It seemed the red card might paralyze the U.S., but the Americans actually looked stronger as the game went on and had the Argentines on their heels when the game was called.
“In a game like this where you’re playing the best team in the world, everyone is working hard, we’re more dangerous than we’ve been,” Mastroeni said. “I think collectively as a team we were more together.”
Based on the scoreless draw against an Argentina team that on Wednesday thrashed Mexico, 4-1, in San Diego, Calif., Mastroeni is encouraged as the U.S. heads to the Home Depot Center to prepare for World Cup qualifying next Sunday against Barbados.
“As the friendlies went, the team got better with each game,” Mastroeni said. “To cap it off playing against the best team in the world after what they did to Mexico, I think it’s a positive for us, both on the field and psychologically in realizing that we’re there, we just need to put the ball in the goal and get a few lucky breaks. It’s great for the preparation leading up to next week.”
