Suarez - hero or villain

[birdieman]

Best game of the WC last night with the Uruguay Ghana game. For those that didn't see in the last minute of extra time Ghana got a free kick on the right (that wasn't actually a foul). Ball comes in and Ghana lad heads ball goalward only for outfield player Suarez to blatantly handle the ball on the line and prevent a certain goal. Red card and penalty for Ghana.
Ghana player missed the penalty and shortly after in penalty shootout Uruguay won through.

Suarez for me did the right thing. If it was my team I would have wanted him to do that. Even though its cheating he 'took a grenade' for his team and country. The gamble worked as Uruguay are still in and he'll only miss one game. He was clearly delighted with his 'save'.

I was trying to liken it to a similar situation in golf - maybe Ryder Cup and Monty screams out 'MISS' as the Yank in the last singles match has a 5 footer to halve whole match, miss and Europe win.

Did Suarez do the right thing?

If so why is it ok in football and not in golf?

 

[chrisd]

Of course he did! Every defenders job is to prevent the ball hitting the back of the net (well, maybe not our team) and the penalty taker really should have scored.

He will be a national hero for this and it really is only the non footie fans who will moralise forever over this

Chris

 

[Ken_A]

I am devistated for Ghana - they may not have been the best team all evening but they did deserve thet goal.

Tho it was 15 mins of nail biting telly.

 

[freddielong]

If you think he did the right thing then you also have to think Maradona did the right thing in 86, you have to do everything within the laws to keep the ball out, cheating is cheating he should be banned for an additional game just in case they make the final.

If and its a big if Uraguay go on to win the world cup it will be because of that cheat, that one moment where someone someone broke the laws of the game how can that be a good thing ?

 

[Spinn77]

But......Maradonna got away with it Freddie.

This guy got the punishment outlined by the laws of the game. Red card and a penalty kick. End of story.

 

[freddielong]

So the differnce between right and wrong is wether or not you get caught?

I know what you are saying about he will be punnished within the laws, but how can an act only be cheating if the ref does not see it and not cheating if he does? its the same act

 

[Smiffy]

I feel gutted for Ghana. Whilst I agree that the "letter of the law" was followed, and also accept that the penalty miss was woeful, I feel that Ghana have been "cheated" out of a place in the semi's.
And when I saw Suarez dancing for joy when the penalty was missed?
I would have quite happily kicked him very hard in the knackers

 

[Spinn77]

Must admit i fell asleep and missed the shoot out at the end and the celebrations. Maybe i'd feel differently after seeing him at the end.

Also. I dont think any player can really complain about cheating any more. Each and every one of them tries to claim every throw in, corner, foul.....not even just the controversial dive. they are trying to cheat the ref for throw-ins these days!

 

[toonarmy]

I am appalled at how anyone could think Suarez's behaviour is defensible. Does the Corinthian spirit mean nothing anymore?

I understand why he did it, however I have long been of the opinion that in those circumstances the goal should still be given and the player still sent off. Simply giving a penalty is nowhere near as certain as the fact that the ball was illegally impeded from crossing the line.

Yes, in the first minute, losing a player would hurt - but it doesn't hurt in the 120th does it?

The most sensible and fair (and therefore never going to happen under FIFI...) outcome is red card plus goal. I would also remove the retarded notion of the red card plus penalty for last man type stuff. The penalty accurately replicates the 'chance' of scoring, the red card is unnecessary and should only apply when the offence occurs outside of the area. Why should one (in the area) result in clear goal scoring chance + man down and the other (outside) result in man down but no clear scoring chance? Being hacked down on the byline is much less of a realistic chance than a one-on-one but the offending team are much better off with the latter.

Still, we're talking about a sport that still thinks seeing if the ball crosses the line is somehow unfair...

PS anyone who thinks what Suarez did is right/fair play is someone I would never want to play golf with

 

[Spinn77]

I didnt mention that he did the right thing.

My view has always been that football should have the equivelent of the Rygby Union penalty try. Give a goal, and yellow card the player (that's then inline with the usual deliberate handball offence. A red card would not be).

 

[HughJars]

you also have to think Maradona did the right thing in 86

I thought everyone already did think this?

 

[GB72]

I didnt mention that he did the right thing.

My view has always been that football should have the equivelent of the Rygby Union penalty try. Give a goal, and yellow card the player (that's then inline with the usual deliberate handball offence. A red card would not be).

Was about to say the same thing, if a foul is commited in rugby to stop a definite scoring opportunity then the score is given and that would have been a fair and equitable punishment last night.

 

[Smiffy]

I have long been of the opinion that in those circumstances the goal should still be given and the player still sent off. Simply giving a penalty is nowhere near as certain as the fact that the ball was illegally impeded from crossing the line.

I wholeheartedly agree.
Why should Ghana be put in the position where there was a "chance" that they wouldn't score (even though they tell us that the odds are weighted in favour of the penalty taker rather than the 'keeper).
Had the cheating git not handballed it, the ball would have been resting in the back of the net. No question. No doubt.
To me, what that cheating bastid did was akin to dropping a ball down his trouser leg whilst searching for his Titleist in the rough.

 

[freddielong]

Fifa has confirmed it is investigating Luis Suarez's deliberate handball and could extend his one-match ban.

The Uruguay striker stopped Ghana substitute Dominic Adiyiah's last-gasp header on the line which would have sent the Africans through to the last four.

While Suarez was given a straight red card for his actions, his 'Hand of God' intervention ultimately paid-off as Ghana missed the resulting penalty and Uruguay went through to the semi-final after winning a shoot-out.

Suarez is now being hailed as a hero in his home country, who view his actions as being on behalf of the team, but the incident has provoked condemnation in other parts of the world, with the handball seen as cheating.

The striker will now serve an automatic one-match ban, ruling him out of the semi-final with Holland, but this punishment may be increased as Fifa has confirmed it is looking into the case.

The ruling body may decide he should also be suspended for Uruguay's last match of the tournament - which will be either the final or the third-place play-off.

Fifa spokesman Pekka Odriozola said: "For automatic red cards there is an automatic one-match suspension.

"The disciplinary committee also opens a case and they will be looking at that incident and taking a decision."

Fifa's disciplinary code gives the committee the option of a longer ban for "unsportsmanlike conduct".

It may find his action was contrary to the fair play code which states: "Winning is without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy, but brings no pleasure."

 

[Region3]

Football is full of cheats so to condemn him for cheating will be like water off a ducks back.

Agree 100% with having the equivalent of Rugby's penalty try.

I was gutted for Ghana, and Gyan especially. Yes, he had the chance to win it for them but Uruguay shouldn't even have had the slim chance that they did.

 

[Spinn77]

FIFA wont ban him for two games. The fact it was a world cup quater final is irrelevant in truth.

If he gets a two game ban then so should every player who handles on the goal line. It wont happen.

If it does that will be unfair.

 

[pokerjoke]

To me both teams played attacking football right to the final whistle and it was obvious both teams didnt want penalties an absolute credit to both countries.The incident itself was unfortunate that it was so late in the game,firstly it was not a free kick and the situation could have been avoided.The sad thing is suarez will be a hero in uraguay especially if they go on to win the world cup and gyan will probably be blamed and be a villian.Ghana should be proud of their efforts not sad.If only us English could do the same.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

At the end of the day though the Ghana penalties in the shootout were woeful. However I think they should have gone through and totally agree with the concept of a "penalty goal" as in rugby with the try. It'll never happen. If FIFA can't even see the benefit of goaline technology when every major sport uses one form or another (there have even been cases in golf where replays have been watched to judge where a ball crossed a hazard etc) then something as controversial (and it would be) will never get off the ground although knowing them they'll still wast millions "looking into it"

 

[chrisd]

The fact is that footballers from the top of the tree to the very bottom play to a set of rules which say that the referee makes the decisions on the pitch, that is why both players claim a throw in, corner/goal kick etc etc when they know it isnt their ball- handling the ball on the line is not cheating in the sense that moving your golf ball when others arn't looking is. The referee sees what he sees and makes the decision, he did the only thing he could and gave a penalty and sent the guy off.

If "rights" are to decide football matches then England would have been awarded the lost goal by showing the referee the incident at half time and then saying that we will go out after half time 2-2.

Everyone who ever played or plays football will have handled the ball either deliberately or involuntarily to gain an advantage, fouled someone or done something in a game that was against the rules - he might miss the final because he did and lets be fair - at least the referee saw it!! and, for the record I will never condone what Maradonna did but it was up to the officials to see it and deal with it - they are the ones I would ban!

 

[Basher]

Bloody cheating get!

He made a better save than the goalkeeper for Gods sake. How he could look surprised when the ref flashed a red is stunning. Celebrating Ghana's missed penalty, way over the top considering what he had done. I'm behind Smiffy to give him a right kick in the nuts.
Ghana will justifiably feel cheated by his actions. He may be a hero in Uruguay, no doubt that other cheating dwarf Maradonna saw nothing wrong with it, but he'll be seen as a cheat by the rest of the world, and more so in Africa!