Pumas in trouble for painting logo on pitch
Reuters - Monday 30 January 2012, 02:24
Pumas UNAM's broke FIFA rules by
painting a giant letter 'U' on their pitch for Sunday's home
league game against Guadalajara and could be sanctioned, the
Mexican Football Federation (FMF) said.
The university side, held 0-0 by Guadalajara at their
Olimpico Universitario ground in the capital in the Clausura
championship, were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their
promotion to the first division in January 1962.
"The reproduction, whether real or virtual, of
representative logos or emblems of FIFA, confederations, member
associations, leagues, clubs or other bodies is forbidden on the
field of play, the goal nets and the areas they enclose," state
the laws of world governing body FIFA.
A FMF statement said the "violation of FIFA's Laws of the
Game 2011-2012 committed by Pumas club... will be forwarded to
the Disciplinary Commission of the Mexican Football Federation... for its analysis and to determine a sanction."
The match was something of a damp squib with a defensive
Guadalajara glad not to notch up a fourth consecutive defeat.
Guadalajara were under new coach Ignacio Ambriz, appointed
during the week to replace Fernando Quirarte, who resigned after
the Chivas lost their first three matches, their worst start to
a championship.
Pumas coach Guillermo Vazquez said both sides were mostly
concerned with not losing given the intense rivalry between
teams from the capital and the western city of Guadalajara.
'IN DEBT'
"No one wants to lose these kinds of matches, both sides go
into them concentrating on not committing errors and the fight [for the ball] in all parts of the pitch is very even," he told
reporters.
Ambriz said: "I think both sets of fans are unhappy, what's
important in football are goals, there weren't any today,
perhaps we're in debt, let's hope we can improve."
Santos Laguna took a two-point lead in the standings with a
3-1 win at Tijuana.
Goals from Colombia's Darwin Quintero, striker Cristian
Suarez and midfielder Juan Rodriguez sent Apertura championship
runners-up Santos top with 10 points from four matches.
Argentine striker Jose Sand's had promoted Tijuana back in
the game with a 55th-minute penalty but Suarez restored the
visitors' lead within nine minutes.
Guadalajara's arch-rivals America won 3-1 at San Luis on
Saturday with two goals from Ecuador striker Cristian "Chucho"
Benitez, who also laid on the second for Brazilian midfielder
Rosinei.
America are second with eight points, one more than a group
of four teams including Tijuana and title holders Tigres UANL,
who beat Santos in the Apertura final in the first half of the
season.
Argentine striker Emanuel Villa scored both goals in Cruz
Azul's 2-2 draw away to Atlante in Cancun, including a
controversial 86th-minute equaliser which television replays
confirmed he helped into the net with his arm.