Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo, who ejected England's Wayne Rooney during its quarterfinal loss to Portugal, is quoted in the British media as saying, "[Rooney] was complaining all the time, always coming close to me saying 'referee' this and 'referee' that. Protests and more protests ... he reminded me of my kids!" Elizondo red-carded Rooney after the 21-year-old stomped on defender Ricardo Carvalho's while Carvalho was on the ground. The British media and fans had accused Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo of influencing Elizondo's decision, to which the referee told the magazine FourFourTwo, "He stamped on Carvalho's groin. That is a straight red card in any country."