It matters for countries who aren't one of the big guns. Like 1998 when Croatia finished 3rd was fucking massive. For Uruguay to make it even this far is pretty massive tbh.

That wasn't my point. #-o

no one remembers who comes 3rd or 4th

Just in answer to the highlighted area, no I don't think a cheat has to get away with it to be successful. What a cheat needs to do to be successful is get the desired outcome by breaking the rules.

Suarez knew the laws of the game and what the punishment for his crime was going to be. He accepted the risk for the minute chance of the reward - his team staying in the competition. Of course he's going to celebrate if his nation and his team stay in the competition. People calling for more than the standard ban of one match are retarded - were you the same people calling for a two match ban for Harry? You can't just change the standard ban for an offence on a whim because it happens at such a pivotal moment in the tournament... that would be the sort of inconsistency that we're all shitting on referees for displaying.

Wouldn't your definition of a cheat be seen as someone who has got away with something without punishment. Suarez was caught and duly punished. Up until Gyan's miss he thought his and his team's World Cup were over. He was only acting of instinct, as did Henry, but unlike Henry he was caught.

He broke the rules. He was punished for it. If Gyan scored, no-one would give a fuck.

He is as big a cheat as Thierry, and just as successful. To deny what he did is not in clear breach of the rules is to show a lack of understanding of the written word. Good luck to you.

But Ghana not putting the penalty away is why they were knocked out - of course the ball did appear to cross the line before he pushed it back so it could easily have been awarded as a goal and then he wouldn't have been red carded and Ghana would have won the game. That is football sadly.

The title 'Uruguay the cheaters' is well deserved and very appropriate. A is A.

Fair enough mate, that's your opinion. :)

I think players with any dignity would have a bloody good crack at jumping for it with their head, but using your hands deliberately like this is not something most footballers would even consider.

FIFA should introduce a penalty goal for this exact situation

So are you saying, that if Gyan scored, Suarez would be fined, and the manager would be furious with him?

They wouldn't be a player down, it was the last kick of the game.

You're right in saying that it probably wouldn't work 95% of the time. But it doesn't mean players wouldn't try it. In that exact situation. If you think that most players would just let it go in, in the 120th minute in a World Cup Quarter Final, I think you rate the human race too highly. ;)

No they wouldn't. For the same reasons as above. And even if what you say is true and 95% of players would do this, more often than not, the penalty would be scored. Managers worldwide would be a player and a goal down, and would be furious with 95% of players. Players would be being fined left right and centre, and managers would not want to play players that would be that much of a risk.
It worked for Suarez this time, but would not work for him again, or for 95% of players.

Let me clarify that statement for you.

95% of players, in that exact situation, would do the same thing. Not everytime a ball is going in. If you are 4-0 up in a regular league match for example, the loss outweighs the gain.



Edited by imnofreak: 4/7/2010 08:44:32 PM

Fifa, unlike Suarez, must play by the rules, and as such, a one game suspension.
For all of you saying that this is not cheating - a definition.

2. To violate rules deliberately, as in a game:

The fact that Ghana failed to capitalise on this worm like act, does not make the act acceptable. Also I feel that this has become less about the actual act, and more about the fact that it is now being celebrated by his countrymen and team-mates.

To say that 95% of players would do the same thing is ridiculous. If this was the case, then anyone standing on the line defending a corner etc. would do the same 95% of the time and games would end up as 8 v 8. Pull your heads in.

imnofreak, i was going to propose the same last man foul hypothetical myself!

it's a professional foul. the punishment for a professional foul is a one match ban - only because this instance is so steeped in emotion and it had such devastating circumstances for the ghanaians are we even contemplating a further ban.

it's interesting to link this with the henry incident - other end of the pitch, but ended up with no more of a penalty than he would have received for any other missed handball.

i think fifa's got this spot on - at least they're consistent.

Yes and if Suarez had not cheated Ghana would have scored and won.

Should have been a two match ban in my book.

on the ozzy news they say uruguay the cheaters are playing holland dont 4get we are biding for the world cup shut ur mouth we need votes plus has nofing do with us my amigos

NO ADVANTAGE? WTF.

They had a penalty, and if they scored they would of won! ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

this is a joke he should of recieved a two match ban. Sure he got a red card, but Ghana recieved no advantage as it was the last play of the game. Its not like they played against a 10 men uruguay for anytime or uruguay had any disadvantage after the red card.

I would've given him two matches.

If you wait until the 120th minute to score a decisive goal, then you do allow controversial events, like Suarez's handball, to decide the match.

Why thank you, sir. :)

Could not have said it better myself. Sir you are a gentlemen and a scholar.

We see this kind of thing happen ALL the time! Scholes did it last season for Man Utd, Neville did it for Everton, and I'm sure there are scores of others. Nobody makes a big deal out of it then because the penalty is scored.

How is it any different to a striker rounding the keeper and is about to slot it into the empty net and a player comes in from behind and takes his legs out. He would get sent off and the penalty would be awarded. That is his punishment. Would everybody call him a cheat and say that he is a disgrace? No.

Is he a cheater? No. Is it morally incorrect? Perhaps. But I bet that 95% of players would do the exact same thing in that position.

The guy deliberately handballed and paid the penalty, he didn't know Gyan would miss the penalty. He got sent off and thats the rules. How did he get away with it??

Ghana just failed to take advantage, if you can't take a gift like than then you deserve to go home.

Simple as that. Love it or hate it thats football and I love it.

Edited by latinr33: 4/7/2010 05:32:54 PM

Because he cheated to get a desired outcome. His desired outcome was that Uruguay went through and he achieved this by deliberately breaking the rules of the game. In the final washup if Suarez chose to play within the rules of the game then Ghana goes through, so he got his desired outcome.

I honestly can't believe the controversy over the labelling of this guy a cheat. He behaved in an incredibly unethical manner and anyone who supports that has questionable ethics as well.

But how has he gotten away with it?
He got a red, Ghana got a penalty and he will miss the semi.

He isnt a cheat he took at red card gave a penalty away Ghana didnt have the quality to put the penality away under the pressure such is football.