It isn’t often when you can say a straight red card and penalty kick given up was a good play. As crazy as it might sound, Luis Suarez‘s 120th minute red card for handling the ball on the goal line has kept Uruguay’s World Cup dreams alive.
After the two teams could not be separated following the 90 minutes of regular time, Uruguay and Ghana headed for 30 long minutes of extra time. Each team created a few half chances, but the match always seemed destined for penalties.
As time was expiring, Ghana won a last gasp free kick on the wing in a dangerous position for the final play of the game. The resulting cross was flicked on into a mad scramble in the Uruguay box where the first Ghanian shot was cleared off the line and the rebound attempt destined for the back of the net was batted away by Luis Suarez‘s hand.
The referee had no choice but the show Suarez straight red and award Ghana the potential game winning penalty with no time remaining. With the result all but in the history books, Asamoah Gyan stepped up to deliver the knockout punch just as he had done against the USA.
As fate would have it, the soccer gods must have been watching after Uruguay as Gyan unbelievably ripped his attempt off the crossbar for what will surely go down as one of the most memorable misses in World Cup history.
It would only seem reasonable that Ghana and Gyan’s spirit would be broken, but things looked better for Ghana when Gyan returned to the penalty spot to bury Ghana’s second pk and tie things at 2-2. After Uruguay stroked home their third straight penalty though, Ghana began to unravel missing consecutive penalties on lackluster soft shots to the keepers left.
With a chance to win it for his country, Sebastián Abreu of Uruguay stepped onto the world’s stage and calmly chipped home the winning penalty completing the most improbable of victories for Uruguay.
(Photo courtesy of ESPN.com)
Suarez was despicable. Ghana deserved to win, and Suarez, like a little boy who can't accept losing, decided to be a poor sport and break the rules to prevent a good goal. Pathetic.
Maybe I'm knee-jerking but I think they should consider introducing a 'penalty-goal' rule for things like the Suarez handball so there can be no conceivable advantage gained by the offence.
WOW…personally I am still in shock by what took place in that game. Although I do see both of your points, you have to give credit to Suarez who saved the World Cup for his team and country. The man knew it was the last play of the game and made an unbelievably brilliant play. In all honesty Ghana should have slammed the door shut by making the penalty, but the shockingly missed it and they have no one but Mr. Gyan to blame for that. Also, what was the deal with their two missed penalties? It seriously looked like those guys were trying to pass the ball in…unexceptable in that situation.
Agreed though that they should look at giving the referee discretion to award a goal in a situation like that where the player clearly blocked a certain goal.
i think Suarez did exactly what any world class player would do and it was 100% justifiable. They kept Uruguay's world cup dreams alive. Suarez committed the crime (although it wasn't really one) and he's going to do the time. He accepted his red card. And Suarez 'WROTE THE FUTURE' for the Uruguayan team. Why is everybody blissfully ignorant about this. Whats done is done!
Unlike the previous posters I think Suarez did what he had to do to give his team the best chance. He sacrificed himself for the better of the team. He will miss the next game, but his team gets to move on (he will not get to play in the next game). Ghana's loss was their own fault, Suarez just gave Uruguay a glimmer of hope which turned out to be just enough. I would have done the same in that situation.
Suarez played his card .. and won.
As for a foul or handball not in a certain goal situation in penalty area there is offered a 90% chance goal (penalty) , also you have to give them the other 10% of chance to save the situation.
Ghana had a 90% chance to end the game in their favor and Suarez paid for his act with an elimination and his chance to play in semi-finals.
He played by the rules. And he paid for his act, but saved his team and offered them another chance.
salute you suarez…
A referee won't give a goal in this situation because what if it was really just another handball situation? Some may argue but he awarded a red card so he was certain the ball was a definite goal?
I say, not without a video ref. Until you can guarantee it was a goal like a video ref would count a LBW in cricket or in or out challenge in tennis. Until the FA gets their act together, be certain this kind of behaviour will continue in the game.
The guy got his punishment, a red card and penalty awarded to the other team. What more do you guys want?! What did you want him to do Jeffrey? Take the loss? Yes he broke the rules, but he also got punished for it so get over it.
Tough to do because I don't agree with what Suarez did, but I have to agree with admin. This is the top level where players will do just about anything to gain an advantage to help their team win. It is not the honor system. If the ref gets it wrong, the players do not correct him and call a foul on themselves. The fault is with the rules. The rules, as they currently stand, rewarded Uruguay for preventing a goal with an intentional hand ball. At that same moment, millions of kids all over the world who were watching, were encouraged to copy that same behavior to help their teams win, due to the loophole in the rules.
As admin said, FIFA should close the loophole; the ref should have the discretion to award a goal where a player clearly blocked a certain goal. From my view, that clearly should have happened in the Uruguay v Ghana match, which Ghana deserved to win.
I agree that soccer needs to come into the 21th century and start fixing holes in the rules. A certain goal handed by a non-gk should simply be a goal similar to the goal tending rule in basketball. This play will lead to more such incidents until this situation is addressed.
the rule is you hand the ball in the penalty area you get a penalty kick you do it intentional ,you get a red card any player in the world would have done the same thing give the man a medal get over cry babies
I've played professional soccer and any professional player would have done the exact same thing. Would any of you say the same thing if it was your team? Would any American, of which I am, yell and scream if their American football team comitted a foul on a player who obviously would score a touchdown?