BYRON MORENO, the Ecuadorean soccer referee who sparked outrage in Italy for his officiating in the World Cup, has been suspended for 20 matches, soccer officials said Wednesday.

　　The Ecuadorean Football Federation opened an investigation into Moreno’s refereeing of a match Sunday between Barcelona Guayaquil, the country’s most popular club, and Liga de Quito.

　　Moreno added 13 minutes of overtime, during which Qiuto came back from two goals down to win the match 4-3, but the referee reported the game lasted only 90 minutes.

　　If Moreno is found guilty of misinforming the federation about the match, he could be suspended permanently.

　　Italian soccer players and fans blame faulty officiating by Moreno for their national team’s unexpected elimination from this year’s World Cup finals by South Korea in the second round.

　　In overtime of that match, Moreno ejected forward Francesco Totti for what he believed was an intentional dive in the penalty box.

　　Moreno said he extended the match Sunday because Barcelona players were stalling during regulation time.

　　Moreno said he would bring his case to FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, if necessary.

　　The referee is running for city council in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, and some have suggested he extended the match Sunday in hopes of gaining favor with Liga de Quito fans.

　　(SD-Agencies)