/world sport
LONDON, England -- Liverpool's Argentina international midfielder Javier Mascherano has admitted an English Football Association (FA) charge of improper conduct and has requested a personal hearing.
Mascherano received his second yellow card for protesting against Fernando Torres' booking.
The charge came after the FA viewed television footage of Mascherano's reaction to being sent off by referee Steve Bennett in the Premier League match against Manchester United last Sunday.
Mascherano was incensed after being shown a second yellow card for dissent and had to be pulled off the pitch by Liverpool coaching staff and teammates.
Mascherano had already been cautioned for a late sliding tackle on Paul Scholes, and he continuously protested Bennett's decisions throughout the first half.
"We will fine the player," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said on Friday. "He proposed giving the fine to a charity and everything is sorted internally."
Liverpool were losing 1-0 to the Premier League leaders and were eventually beaten 3-0 after playing the entire second half a man short.
Mascherano, who continued to protest his innocence after the incident, faces having an automatic one-game suspension increased.
He is already out of Sunday's crucial Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield.
If the charge of improper conduct is upheld, Mascherano looks set to be in line for an additional suspension, probably for two matches, which would see him also miss Premier League games against Arsenal on April 5 and Blackburn eight days later.
However, any domestic ban would exclude the Champions League quarterfinal first and second legs against the Gunners on April 2 and 9.
Mascherano was given an extra 24 hours to respond because he was on international duty for his country, playing against Egypt in Cairo. E-mail to a friend 
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