Watch Wayne Rooney Get Red Carded for Kicking an Opponnent

Foul play against Aston Villa's Stewart Downing saw Wayne Rooney receive a straight red card.

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Complex Original

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Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney had a rough outing at Old Trafford today. While United went up 2-0 early through goals from Rooney and Robin van Persie, the home side was on edge for the bulk of the game against West Ham. A Diafra Sakho goal brought the game closer at 2-1, at which point Rooney decided it was time to start kicking things.

In the 59th minute after United were denied a handball shout, West Ham's Stewart Downing ignited a counter-attack. Fouling Downing was the correct decision from Rooney—you see "professional fouls" happen just to protect the defense in encouraging counters, and Rooney was trying to bail out his men here. 

The foul, however, was anything but professional. A kick to Downing's knee (awfully close to the family jewels) was a cynical result for Rooney, and a fair sending off altogether. 

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Manchester United hung on with 10 men for the remainder of the match to win 2-1. A home victory was secured, but the attention was still on Rooney post-game. He'll be suspended for the next three matches, and some fans think he should be dealt a harsher punishment by manager Louis van Gaal.

With Rooney suspended, expect to see Spanish midfielder Juan Mata step into Rooney's No. 10 role. 

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