I don’t think I can ever remember a more heartbreaking end to a game. And I’m an England fan.
Fuck Suarez.
JM1
1742
Speak for yourself - I considered Henry to have committed a foul, something that happens a hundred times a match. Yes, he handballed it. Big fucking deal.
And Suarez is indeed a smart player taking one for the team. He did exactly the right thing. It wasn’t an attempt to “cheat” in terms of hoodwinking the ref, it wasn’t an attempt to injure a fellow player. He stopped the goal in an illegal fashion, got punished for it, and it was the right call to make at that time.
Hardly the first time and it won’t be the last. I remember Ole Gunnar Solksjaer of all people deliberately fouling a player and copping a red card, and not a single person could criticise him for it because of the situation.
The level of hysterics in this thread is becoming pretty astounding.
I understand it, but don’t mistake that for liking it. If they hand out additional games suspended, I won’t be shedding any tears.
robsam
1744
I see your point, I do, but I was for Uruguay the entire game. Suarez blocked one shot with his legs, then another one comes flying near his head and he makes a split second decision to stop it with his hand. I don’t know if he really had time to analyze the decision, he saw a ball, thought “stop it!” and blocked it illegally. Got thrown out, PK was awarded, and Ghana missed. Sucks for Ghana, but I’m not sure Suarez is a nasty villain here.
JD
1745
Hate Suarez as much as you want - 99 out of 100 soccer players would have done the very same thing in that situation. 120th minute? You betcha.
Exactly, Suarez did the best for his team and, as has been pointed out, was punished for that. If Ghana wasn’t able to convert it into a goal it’s their problem.
How is it cheating? He committed a rules violation and was appropriately penalized.
Going to my American sports roots, it seems to be similar to basketball where a defender will purposely foul the shooter on breakaways and easy layups, especially in critical situations, and force them to make, presumably, more difficult free throws. No one bats any eyelash at that, due mostly to the justice of the situation: There are rules, you choose to violate the rules and the penalty explicitly outlined in the rules is enforced.
JM1
1748
As for Ireland, Roy Keane said it best:
“Ireland had their chances in the two games [against France], and they never took them,” he said. “But it’s the usual FAI reaction - ‘We’ve been robbed, the honesty of the game.’ There was one match against Georgia where Ireland got a penalty and it was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen which changed the whole course of the game. I don’t remember the FAI after the game saying we should give them a replay.”
Talking about France’s winner, Keane laid the blame on Ireland’s defence rather than Henry, who handled the ball before crossing for William Gallas to head in. “I’d focus on why they didn’t clear it,” he said. “I’d be more annoyed with my defenders and my goalkeeper than Thierry Henry. How can you let the ball bounce in your six-yard box? How can you let Thierry Henry get goal-side of you? If the ball goes into the six-yard box, where the hell is my goalkeeper?”.
Kareem
1749
It wasn’t a generalisation against south Americans. It was an apt observation of today’s games when Brazil played some of the most ill-tempered football in the tournament and Uruguay blatantly cheated their way into the semi-finals.
I still fail to see how they’re disgusting cheaters because of that, Kareem. And I totally disagree with the fact that Uruguay cheated today.
It’s cheating to deliberately break the rules in order to gain an advantage. When it totally robs a team of their deserved place in the semi-final of the World Cup, I’d call that disgusting.
This is pretty much how I see it too. He cheated, got sent off and Ghana was awarded a penaly kick. Sadly, they missed their chance.
Those plays were nothing alike. Henry committed a foul, got away with it, and got a goal as a result. Suarez, faced with the choice of “let it go in and we lose” or “smack it away with my hand, take the red card, and make them win on the penalty,” made the right choice. As has been pointed out, it’s exactly like taking a basketball player out on a breakaway. Suarez ended that game firmly in my “do not like” camp for his diving and constant shoving at the other end, but that was a brilliant play.
And, lest we forget, you just can’t miss that penalty. Gyan had the semifinals handed to him on a silver platter and smashed it off the bar. Suarez didn’t rob them of anything; he was punished appropriately given the rules of the game.
I’d like to see you score a penalty under that kind of pressure! Silver platter my arse! :)
Those plays were nothing alike. Henry committed a foul, got away with it, and got a goal as a result.
Suarez did get away with it, because Uruguay won. Being sent off in the last second of the game does not harm your team’s chances…
JM1
1755
Do you really think that? Honestly?
Because the rules of the game also include things like those fouls we see ALL THE TIME during the match. That makes both sides cheats.
Suarez didn’t get away with it - he was caught and punished with a red card and the penalty, which Ghana missed.
No he didn’t get away with it - he was penalized in accordance with the rules. If you don’t think the rules establish a proper or harsh enough penalty, then that is a different argument.
Hah. Keane is only saying that because he’s bitter at the national team after he stormed off home during World Cup 2002. He also thinks that there’s nothing wrong with him breaking Alf Inge Haaland’s leg on purpose.
It is cheating to foul someone for an advantage. Not all fouling is cheating, though. Mostly it’s just bad timing. When you deliberately take someone out who has got past you, that’s cheating. It’s also a yellow card, and a red if you’re the last man.
Kareem
1759
I don’t really care if cheating is technically the wrong word to use simply because Uruguay played within the rules of the game. It doesn’t make it any less like outright theft and is completely despicable.
JM1
1760
Ah, this is the definition I’m looking for. It wasn’t cheating - it was a professional foul.
