Blundering refs cut from World Cup list

Johannesburg: Uruguay`s Jorge Larrionda and Italy`s Roberto Rosetti, whose blunders have prompted FIFA to rethink using video technology, won`t play any further part in the World Cup.

They were left off the list of 19 referees announced by FIFA to take part in the rest of the competition though football`s world governing body gave no explanation. Larrionda and his linesman failed to see an England shot clearly cross the line in a 4-1 loss to Germany in a second round game on Sunday. Frank Lampard`s shot hit the bar and bounced down behind the line before spinning back into play. It would have made the score 2-2. Rosetti wrongly awarded a goal to Argentina`s Carlos Tevez against Mexico when he took Lionel`s Messi`s pass in a clearly offside position. It was Argentina`s first in a 3-1 victory which put the team into the last eight. The mistakes prompted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to announce that he had apologised to England and Mexico after the errors helped eliminate their teams from the World Cup."Naturally, we deplore when you see the evidence of referees` mistakes," said Blatter, adding it would be "a nonsense" for FIFA not to look again at goal-line technology with its rule-making panel. "After having witnessed such a situation," Blatter said, "we have to open again this file, definitely. Naturally, we will take on board again the discussion about technology. Something has to be changed." Two more left out for the remainder of the competition were Koman Coulibaly of Mali, who disallowed a third United States goal in a 2-2 draw with Slovenia, and French ref Stephane Lannoy who harshly sent off Brazil`s Kaka for a second yellow after Ivory Coast`s Kader Keita ran into him while going for the ball. Those left on the list include some from countries no longer involved in the competition.England`s Howard Webb has become one of the favorites to referee the final and so has Frank De Bleekere of Belgium, which didn`t qualify. The amended list includes six from Europe, four from South America, three from Asia, three from North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), two from Africa and one from Oceania. From these, FIFA will select the officials for the last eight games from the quarterfinals onwards. PTI