Mascherano 'can't believe' red card

Javier Mascherano insisted on Monday he still had no idea why he'd been sent-off in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat away to champions Manchester United.

Liverpool's loss, which effectively put paid to any lingering Premier League title ambitions they may have had this season, was overshadowed at Old Trafford on Sunday by the sight of Argentina midfielder Mascherano getting his marching orders from referee Steve Bennett shortly before half-time.

Mascherano, who could yet receive more than the standard one-game ban because he failed to leave the pitch immediately after being red-carded, had already been booked for a foul when he persisted in asking why team-mate Fernando Torres had also been cautioned.

Bennett did not take kindly to this and gave Mascherano his second booking for dissent.Despite what happened, Mascherano told the Liverpool Echo here on Monday: "I do not know why I was sent off. I asked the referee what was happening. I did not swear; I was not aggressive and I did not confront him. "All I did was ask him what was happening, nothing else."

Mascherano visibly lost his temper after being shown the red card and had to be calmed down by manager Rafael Benitez and other members of the Liverpool coaching staff before accepting he had to leave the field. "When he (Bennett) showed me the second yellow card and sent me off I could not believe it," Mascherano said.

"I am sorry to my team-mates because that meant we went down to 10 men - and that made things even more difficult for us (Liverpool were only 1-0 down at the time).(source:yahoo/afp)"