You are correct here, as had Ghana scored, Suarez would not be being feted as a hero.

[quote=avy1990]I'm not arguing over the referee decision in regards to rules. Just the fact that applauding someone who did something so unsportsmanlike like that is wrong. It grinds my gears that he is looked at as a hero now.[/quote

I can't speak for others, but if that was Australia, and it was Harry/Timmy who did the handball that got us to the semi final, i'd be thinking of them as having hero status. Considering all of the other dirty things which happen on the football field, it is just one of many things which are controversial.

I personally think the rule needs to be changed. That said, I personally think the quality of refereeing needs to be drastically improved. However, as long as the rules remain like this, I fully endorse players who are willing to accept punishment for saving their team in the tournament, specifically as Ghana had 2 clear opportunities after this to win the match. For that, Suarez cannot be blamed as had Ghana scored the goal, nobody would be speaking of that.

Instead they'd be talking about how 'Africa' is excited that a country a long distance from the host country had made the semi final, which creates warm and fuzzy feelings in North America/Europe/Australia. As if my friends in Morocco care less if Ghana is in the Semi final, its not their country. ](*,)

Yeah, but im just being a douchebag with the Henry thing. I know he cheated.

Avy this is a bit of pot calling kettle black:lol: . You say it grinds your gears that he is looked at as a hero now and that people are applauding what he did.

Didn't you applaud and praise Henry after his cheating incident:lol: :lol:

I'm not arguing over the referee decision in regards to rules. Just the fact that applauding someone who did something so unsportsmanlike like that is wrong. It grinds my gears that he is looked at as a hero now.

They are two completely different circumstances, and they should not be compared or confused.

Henry handled the ball in the attacking area twice, before setting up the winning goal putting France into the world cup. He wasn't caught, he wasn't punished, and France celebrated as normal, leaving Ireland to be eliminated. (that said Henry claims he told the Swedish referee, who said he didn't see it and to keep on playing...true or not, no idea)

Suarez' situation is completely different.
1. It was past the 120th minute, and there was no 'added time', so the game should have been stopped before the free kick.
2. The free kick leading to the play was awarded for a blatant dive.
3. Appiah was offside in the exchange and headed the ball, thus it should have already been a free kick to Uruguay.

That is before we even consider Suarez' role in the play.
The ball comes in Suarez saves it with his hand, as otherwise it would have been a goal. By the rules of football, that is an instant red card and penalty. He was given an instant red card and a penalty awarded to Ghana (in the 121/122nd minute). He accepted his this, and left the ground.

What happens after this is completely irregardless of the handball and its consequences. He broke the rules, he accepted his penalty. That is why FIFA didn't extend his suspension to 2 games, because there are no grounds. The decision made was correct.

We all know what happened later and kudos to Uruguay for fighting in the shootout and winning the game. In my opinion the result was deserved.

Its interesting how people want to label him/Uruguay as a cheat, yet nobody wishes to mention the clear penalty Uruguay should have received earlier in the 2nd half of extra time (where a player was taken down while the ball was in the air). Nor many of the other aforementioned points.

Suarez is a dirty cheat. You can't hate Henry for what he did, then applaud Suarez for this.

What?? Cos someone comes up with a decent argument that contradicts your own opinion, you have to resort to condescension.
Thought process does not lead to an anuerysm. Maybe you should try it sometime.

This was a dog act that sould not be excused or celebrated.

You gotta learn to relax son you're on your way to an anuerysm.
You're a very righteous person I'll give you that.
I hope your pious lifestyle holds you in good stead.
You are truly an example to all of mankind.

Completely disagree. The incident that comes to mind is the under arm bowl against NZ to stop them being able to win a game of cricket. This incident happened almost 30 years ago, and is still talked about as a blight on the Autrsalian sporting reputation. Was, and still is described, by Australians, as the most disraceful moment in Cricket history. If an Australian did this it would be front and back page news for quite a while, condeming this dog act. Not just by the anti-football media, but by everyone. If it was an Australian that did this there would be calls for him never to represent the Roos EVER again, and I would join that chorus.
The cricket incident was within the rules, and we still hear about it 30 years on. This dog act was outside of the rules and deserves condemnation.

He's offside. There has to be two defenders behind him for him to be onside. Because the keeper is usually one of those it's only one defender most of the time but because the keeper came out he has to be inline with two defenders in that instance to be onside and only Suarez is inline with him, therefore he is actually offside.

Uruguay wont make the final anyways the Dutch will hammer them

Do you remember Roddy Vargas doing the exact same thing?

There are plenty of examples of players getting red cards purely to prevent a goal being scored. Here's an example of Ghanaian captain John Mensah doing it (in a 2008 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Nigeria, which Ghana won 2-1):


Adds to the argument that any player would do what Suarez did in the same situation.

Spur of the moment thing I think most would of done the same does not compare to the blatant cheating of Maradona 86 or Henry v Ireland

You could call me a hippocryte because I hated Henry for how he broke Irish hearts but I applaud Suarez for his selfless actions, he has ended his world cup and knowingly put himself into the history books for the wrong reasons and after the furoure surrounding Henry's hand ball he knows how he will be hated, but he did it anyway, for the good of his nation. You can't ask for much more of a sacrifice

What and then change your mind once the ball is in the back of the net?
Good idea, no semi finals for you ;)

I reckon I would've tried to head the ball first.

C'mon guys we'd have all done the same.

Along with scoring a goal in the World Cup this was always one of the positions I imagined myself in as a kid. I always knew i would do it if given the chance. Heck i'd do it in my Saturday league if it was the 90th minute. Don't be so self righteous. It's a deperate measure but one that had to be done.

Its not like he sneakily tried to deceive the ref or anyone like henry. He did a crime and was punished for it accordingly. He sacrificed himself for the good of the team.

Done

Harry's was nothing like this. If we're a nation who would celebrate a handball like Suarez's, I'm not an Australian. That disgusts me.

Looks onside to me.

Handballs off the line will all but cease entirely if the rules are changed in the future to award a red card and a penalty goal.

But atm, that isn't the case. So players will take that option to give their team a chance to survive.

I read somewhere that Appiah was offside during that scramble... :? Haven't looked into it too much.

But what was he meant to do, be sad that Uruguay now had a chance to stay alive in the World Cup?
Of course he is going to celebrate them missing the penalty.

I'm with you on this one. If an Australian had done the same thing we would have hailed him as a national hero as well.

Ah, but Harry does the same thing with the same result (except they score the penalty) and he's 'unlucky' or 'unfortunate'.

Bollocks.

Cheat. Dog Act. Rot in hell, etc.

Most people "may" have, but most people also feel sickened to watch him carried around as a hero - for what was a foul. Uruguay = France. Unloved by the rest of the World.

Suarez hand ball will forever be remembered in football history as the moment the silenced Africa. I have read a number of people call him a cheat however I think he did what he had to do to win.

If Uruguay conceded the goal the match would have been over Suarez made the split second decision to hang ball the ball take a red card give away a penalty to give his nation a chance, that isn’t cheating it is in the rules maybe the rules need to change but at the moment it’s not cheating. Fair or not he isn’t a cheat he did what anyone else would have done for their nation and it paid off, is not Suarez fault Ghana failed to take the penalty and that’s the facts.

Ghana only by passed the group stage due to a lot of luck not only getting a penalty in two games but having the opposition subject to red cards. Justice was done by them getting knocked out in such questionable fashion, I would have done the same thing Suarez did most people would have.


Edited by Davstar: 5/7/2010 11:08:25 AM