Columbus Crew captain Frankie Hejduk: No Mexican apology

Columbus Crew captain Frankie Hejduk has revealed he's received no apologies after being slapped by Mexican assistant coach Paco Ramirez.

Hejduk said he has received no apologies from Ramirez or the Mexican federation for Ramirez's postgame attack on Hejduk after the United States' 2-0 victory in a World Cup qualifier Feb. 11 in Columbus Crew Stadium.

Ramirez slapped Hejduk as the teams were heading to their locker rooms.

"He's got to hit me a lot harder than that to get me to go down," Hejduk said. "But when does it become a knife or something worse?"

Hejduk said he was told that FIFA, soccer's governing body, is aware of the altercation and that it could punish Ramirez. FIFA has suspended coaches for similar incidents in the past.

Hejduk said his performance in the game was a step toward his goal of playing in the 2010 World Cup. He will be two months shy of his 36th birthday when the tournament begins.

"I think it helped put me back in the mix of things a little bit," he said.