Soccer: Fifa hands Rooney two-match ban for red card

BERLIN - England striker Wayne Rooney was banned for two competitive matches and fined 5,000 Swiss francs by Fifa's disciplinary committee today for his dismissal in last week's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal.

Fifa also banned Argentine defender Leandro Cufre for four matches and fined him 10,000 Swiss francs for his part in the melee that followed his team's quarter-final exit on penalties to Germany.

His team mate Maxi Rodriguez was banned for two matches and fined 5,000 Swiss francs for his part in the same incident.

Rooney was sent off in the 62nd minute of the match in Gelsenkirchen after Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo ruled he had intentionally stamped on Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho.

Rooney will miss England's opening qualifying round matches for the Euro 2008 finals against Andorra at Old Trafford on September 2 and away in Macedonia on September 6.

- REUTERS