Rooney was just playing the ball, ref

This is by far going to be my favorite news item from the World Cup:

England striker Wayne Rooney said Monday he was "gobsmacked" by his red card in the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-final against Portugal and said his apparent stamp on an opponent "didn't warrant" his dismissal.


"I'm bitterly disappointed to have been sent off in a World Cup finals match for England," Rooney said in a statement.

"I remember the incident clearly and have seen it several times since on television. I am of the same opinion now as I was at the time that what happened didn't warrant a red card.

"If anything, I feel we should have had a free kick for the fouls committed on me during the same incident.

"I want to say absolutely categorically that I did not intentionally put my foot down on Ricardo Carvalho. He slid in from behind me and unfortunately ended up in a positioning where my foot was inevitably going to end up as I kept my balance. That's all there was to it.

"When the referee produced the red card I was amazed - gobsmacked," the 20-year-old said. "If you ask any player - and indeed almost any fan - they will tell you that I am straight and honest in the way I play. From what I've seen in the World Cup, most players would have gone to ground at the slightest contact but my only thought then was to keep possession for England."

(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

pull the other one, Rooney. it's got bells on it.