FOOTNOTES : Soccer Official’s Criticism of Penalty Mollifies U.S. Player

U.S. midfielder Eric Wynalda of Westlake Village said today that he felt vindicated by remarks made this week by the International Federation of Assn. Football’s general secretary.

In discussing the performances of World Cup referees, Josef Blatter told the Associated Press that Wynalda should not have received a red card for a foul in the United States’ opening game here last Sunday against Czechoslovakia.

The expulsion not only forced the United States to play the final 38 minutes of that 5-1 loss with only 10 men, but Wynalda also was disqualified from playing in Thursday night’s 1-0 loss in Rome to Italy. Wynalda also was fined $7,000.

Blatter said Swiss referee Kurt Roethlisberger was “clearly too harsh” when he sent off Wynalda for shoving a Czech player in the back. Wynalda said it was retaliation for earlier incidents.

“A yellow card would have been sufficient,” Blatter said.

“That statement doesn’t make what I did all right,” Wynalda said. “It was a learning experience for me. But FIFA’s position does make me feel a lot better.”