De Rossi apologises to US striker McBride

KAISERSLAUTERN: Italy's Daniele de Rossi has apologised to US striker Brian McBride for the elbow to the face that saw him red-carded in their Group E World Cup clash here on Saturday             

McBride was floored by the blatant head blow as both players jumped for a high ball in the 28th minute of the game and left the field with blood streaming down his face.       

De Rossi was sent off and after touchline treatment McBride returned to the fray in a no-holds barred match that ended in a 1-1 draw and two more red cards.          

"He came up to me after the match and told me he was sorry and that he had not meant to do it," said the Fulham striker said who required three stitches to his cut eye after the game. "For me that matter is now finished and done with."        

Also sent off were McBride's American team-mates Eddie Pope and Pablo Mastroeni - only the fourth time in World Cup history that three players had been red-carded in the same game.             

The other games were between South Africa and Denmark in 1998, Hungary v Brazil in 1954 and between Czechoslovakia and Brazil in 1938.          

Italy coach Marcello Lippi said that De Rossi had made "a serious mistake."        

"But that's something we'll deal with in-house. I don't want to discuss it in public. He will be suspended and we'll pay the price."    

US coach Bruce Arena said De Rossi was guilty of "a vicious elbow that could have broken his face."      

FIFA said its disciplinary committee would make a ruling on De Rossi by Monday. The committee could decide to suspend him for more than one match.      

FIFA's head of communications Markus Siegler said elbowing as players jumped to head the ball was a "phenomenon that we are increasingly seeing" and reiterated that President Sepp Blatter had vowed to stamp out the practice.