Is ‘Hand of God’ Suarez a hero or villain?
Roar Pro By Dejan Kalinic, 5 Jul 2010 Dejan Kalinic is a Roar Pro
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- 2010 World Cup, football, Ghana, Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry, uruguay, World Cup
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As we digest and recover after some amazing World Cup quarter finals, the issue of whether Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez is a hero or a villain for his self-proclaimed ‘Hand of God’ moment in the dying moments of his team’s win over Ghana bubbles on.
It was a crucial moment to end an amazing game.
There have been comparisons to Frenchman Thierry Henry’s handball against Ireland during World Cup qualifiers.
Henry’s wasn’t spotted and France made it to South Africa.
Suarez’s was – a penalty and red card awarded.
The Ajax striker was devastated as Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan stepped up to take the spot kick.
He was soon rejoicing in the tunnel as Gyan smashed his shot against the crossbar.
The punishment is a one-match ban, meaning he will return to play in the final if his side somehow overcomes the Netherlands.
Ask a Uruguayan if he cares about what Suarez did and he probably won’t – his team are in a World Cup semi final.
The footballer’s instinct prevailed.
“This was the end of the World Cup. I had no choice. I have the ‘Hand of God’ now,” Suarez said.
He added: “I did it so that my teammates could win the penalty shoot-out. When I saw Gyan miss the penalty it was a great joy.”
If you look at the scene again there’s another couple of unbelievable aspects.
Suarez is the man who clears the first ball off the line from Stephen Appiah.
The man next to the striker, Jorge Fucile, on the line by Suarez’s side, misses his own attempted palm away before Suarez’s save.
Suarez allows his head to follow his hands, raising the question of whether he could have headed a clearance.
The bottom line is that sportspeople, regardless of what sport, will attempt to gain any possible advantage.
As they do every four years, some media commentators have failed to recognize this, attempting to judge the world game as the one this is attributed to.
Regardless of sport, the players will always attempt to gain an edge. That’s their job.
The high-pressure environment of sport means sportspeople feel inclined to get ahead in any way they can – even if it means breaking the rules.
Suarez put himself on the line.
If Gyan had scored, Suarez would be an absolute villain.
He made his decision and Uruguay won – he helped his team achieve what it needed to.
Would you have done the same thing?
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- 2010 World Cup, football, Ghana, Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry, uruguay, World Cup
July 5th 2010 @ 7:21am
Dominic Herzberg said | July 5th 2010 @ 7:21am | Report comment
You can’t compare it to the situation in which Henry was. Henry scored a goal and the ref didn’t saw it. Suarez prevented a goal, saw red and Ghana became a penalty. He sacrificed his own world cup for the good of the team, also he got punished by the red card. For sure it was a bad thing for Ghana but we wouldn’t discuss this issue if he played volleyball in the tenth minute. Ghana had it on the food and if you’re not able to score a penalty in a world cup quarterfinal which can lead your team to victory you may didn’t deserve to win.
You can’t tell if it was the right thing to do, he made a decision and got the consequences. I don’t see any unfair acting, when a striker is on his way to the goal and is stopped by a rough tackle in front of the goal by a defender, it’s the exact same thing. He’ll be send off and the other team gets their penalty. Part of the game and behind closed doors, I love it. It adds some emotion to the games.
July 5th 2010 @ 9:39am
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:39am | Report comment
I like the comparison to the last defender bringing down the striker, the only difference is that he isn’t preventing an actual goal, he is preventing a good goal scoring opportunity.
I agree though – he copped his punishment and in reality, Gyan should have scored and won the game.
The one issue I had was that he has only copped a one-match ban, I think he should have got two. Thoughts on that?
July 5th 2010 @ 8:02am
mayor fo bayswater said | July 5th 2010 @ 8:02am | Report comment
It was a natural reaction by any team player and oine that you wopuld probably have done your self….HOWEVER, one that i do NOT condone ! – but would probably have rejoiced it were the other way round…. no team should have a goal disallowed by a deliberate attempt to prevent a ball from going in.
This leads us onto another area of the so called FIFA rules …. in this scenario, i would change the rules for a deliberate stoppage of a ball that is destined to go in, had it not been for the hand ball / infringement.. the player should be sent off with a two match ban AND the goal ALLOWED !
whilst on rules …. lets introduce a rule where a in the EXTRA TIME ( 30 mins) one player is taken off each time, EVERY FIVE MINS…. this should lead to a very interesting game !
RIP GHANA !!
Go Holland !!!
….. and stuff ENGLAND for being a bunch of dispassionate no hopers…. what a massive dissapointment !… no hope !
July 5th 2010 @ 8:23am
Dominic Herzberg said | July 5th 2010 @ 8:23am | Report comment
Adding this rule will be kind of complicated, it’s not basketball where 2 points are easy equaled. With that kind of game you could also ruin a game. I think the chance of a penalty is quite enough. Nevertheless you’ll need video prove and chip in the ball to tell if it would’ve hit the net. Not every hand ball is quite as clear as the one of Suarez. I like clear rules even it seems a bit unfair from time to time, but everything hits back. Look at the Wembley goal which was equaled 44 years later. That’s one of the things I love about football.
What exactly would the extra time rule bring to the game? Why you want to let them run even more when they have a 90 minute game behind them? The number of injuries will raise and it won’t make the game any quicker as the field will remain the same dimension, don’t see any advantage out of that.
July 5th 2010 @ 9:21am
st penguin said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:21am | Report comment
Well the referee already has to make a subjective judgement on whether the foul prevented an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Does it really add much complexity to also consider whether an obvious goal was prevented?
July 5th 2010 @ 9:41am
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Great question. We are already complaining about the officiating – more/changing rules would probably only make this problem greater.
July 5th 2010 @ 8:45am
PB said | July 5th 2010 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Yeah, he did what he had to. He’s a hero: he broke a rule in a game, not the law. Would have been better if his tournament was 100% over, but that’s a problem with the rules. Red card, fine, tournament over, and probably the goal should count. As the rules stand, it made for an amazing ending.
Despite the diving, the ball, mistakes, etc, this has been the best World Cup for ages for drama.
July 5th 2010 @ 8:58am
Al said | July 5th 2010 @ 8:58am | Report comment
Had the Ghanain scored from the sport no one would be bothering about this. Heartbreaking for them but they had the chance, any other player would have sacrificed themselves the way Suarez did in a a World Cup quarter final regardless of what country they’re from.
July 5th 2010 @ 9:44am
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:44am | Report comment
Do you think it wouldn’t be a talking point? Or would people be asking the question of why he didn’t try to legally clear the ball? A header perhaps?
He ended up sacrificing, and it fortunately paid off for him..
July 5th 2010 @ 10:00am
Al said | July 5th 2010 @ 10:00am | Report comment
I don’t think so, I think had he scored the penalty people would have moved on by now. It’s happened before, admittedly not at a 1/4 final at the world cup finals and when the player has scored from the spot no one has gone on about it much afterwards.
No one is doubting that Suarez “cheated”, but he did get punished for it, the Ghanain should have scored from the spot.
July 5th 2010 @ 9:25am
Apelu Tielu said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:25am | Report comment
Neither hero nor villain, but a condemnation of a law that works in favour of the offender’s team.
If FIFA has any brains among the people that run the game, this is one law/incident that they have to change: allow the goal to stand and send off the offender. Asking the non-offending team to take a penalty gives the advantage to the offending team, because the keeper could now stop the goal, or the kicker could miss it.
July 5th 2010 @ 9:27am
Al said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:27am | Report comment
Would it been fair for Kewell to concede a “penalty goal” for handball stopping a goal?
July 5th 2010 @ 9:32am
AndyRoo said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:32am | Report comment
It’s such a rare case that a send of isn’t a worse punishment though. This only mattered because it was the last kick of the game, If this was the 70th minute then it’s not an issue.
July 5th 2010 @ 10:00am
Brett McKay said | July 5th 2010 @ 10:00am | Report comment
FIFA could certainly have done themselves a favour by handing out a lengthier ban than just one match, which of course means Suarez can play the Final if Uruguay get there. I tend to agree with Gerard Whateley’s view yesterday on The Offsiders, that by not ending Suarez’s tourament when they had the chance, it is basically tacit approval of his actions.
And worse, if we put on the green and gold glasses, what Suarez did is now theretically no worse than what Kewell did, which is difficult to swallow…
July 5th 2010 @ 2:43pm
st penguin said | July 5th 2010 @ 2:43pm | Report comment
But what is the justification for giving Suarez a longer ban than Harry Kewell?
Both were judged to have deliberatley handled the ball and stopped a goal scoring opportunity.
It would be wrong for FIFA to retrospectively change the rules.
But I do agree a rule change is needed in the future.
July 5th 2010 @ 4:27pm
Brett McKay said | July 5th 2010 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
St Penguin, you’re quite correct, both were judged to have deliberately handled the ball, but I think it’s fairly obvious that there is glaringly different levels of intent in each case. Kewell from some angles looks to be trying to pull his arm back away from contact, which I happen to think counted against him as it also gives the appearance of moving his arm out sideways.
I guess I’m saying that is still a degree of doubt about Kewell’s red, whereas I don’t think the same can be said of Suarez’s….
July 5th 2010 @ 4:28pm
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 4:28pm | Report comment
The only justification possible would be that he is missing a World Cup semi final, but there is no way they are allowed to decide like that.
It was much more blatant than Kewell’s and is kind of endorsed because his team went on to win because of it (more or less).
July 5th 2010 @ 9:53am
Nelson said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:53am | Report comment
“Would you have done the same thing?”
Nope.
July 5th 2010 @ 10:39am
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 10:39am | Report comment
So you’re standing on the goal line for Australia in a World Cup quarterfinal – you just let it go in? You lose, go home? That’s it?
July 5th 2010 @ 10:42am
AndyRoo said | July 5th 2010 @ 10:42am | Report comment
puts on green and gold glasses
I chest it down then dribble past 3 Ghanians and hit a ball up to Timmy Cahill who scores the winner
July 5th 2010 @ 10:53am
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 10:53am | Report comment
Haha – there’s only one problem – if you chested it down and got out of the penalty area, the referee would have blown the final whistle!
Would you have done what Suarez did AndyRoo?
July 5th 2010 @ 10:58am
AndyRoo said | July 5th 2010 @ 10:58am | Report comment
Yes I would have.
July 5th 2010 @ 11:32am
Nelson said | July 5th 2010 @ 11:32am | Report comment
I try to keep it out using my head, or other part of my body that is within the rules. If it goes in, that’s it – the other team wins, you lose and go home.
July 5th 2010 @ 11:40am
MVDave said | July 5th 2010 @ 11:40am | Report comment
Those that have played football at the highest level for their national teams in a competition against the world that comes around every 4 years may have a differing view Nelson…perhaps if Stanley Matthews was still playing? Wonder if many Uruguayans (TBH insert your own country name here) would be too worried as they have a chance at a WC final for the first time since 1930 in a football mad nation? Would suggest when the cold, hard light of day dawns over Ghana even they will realise that a penalty in the last minute to win a WC 1/4 final is a gift too good to refuse.
That said l am all for given a penalty goal in such a situation in future.
July 5th 2010 @ 11:46am
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 11:46am | Report comment
AndyRoo is honest enough to tell us he would have done the same thing – I know I would have.
Interesting thing with the penalty goal is that if it was the consequence .. he probably would have tried to header it.
He broke the rule – he paid for it – Ghana failed to capitalize on it.
July 5th 2010 @ 11:50am
Nelson said | July 5th 2010 @ 11:50am | Report comment
it’s probably why even if i had the ability to be a professional sportsperson or athlete that i wouldn’t succeed at that level.
July 5th 2010 @ 11:58am
AndyRoo said | July 5th 2010 @ 11:58am | Report comment
I remember Paulo Dicanio caught a ball rather than put it in the back of the net because the opposing goal keeper was injured so their’s hope for you yet Nelson.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:01pm
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
Spot on.
July 5th 2010 @ 2:59pm
st penguin said | July 5th 2010 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
I wonder if Paulo would have done it in a WC quarter final?
July 5th 2010 @ 9:40pm
melikeallfootball said | July 5th 2010 @ 9:40pm | Report comment
Given you’ve already mentioned that he was able to follow the handball with his head, I would use my head/face/ears/nose/chin, whatever I could legally to bat it away, and if that wasn’t good enough (or as effective as the handball) then so be it. This culture of cheating (and reward, and attached ‘hero’ status) displays everything that is wrong with the beautiful game. If Kewell had done the same (deliberate/blatant), I seriously doubt many in this country would be treating him as a hero.
July 6th 2010 @ 10:10am
Nelson said | July 6th 2010 @ 10:10am | Report comment
i think it’s less to do with any particular code or sport, but what being “professional” has come to embody, that it is acceptable to break the most fundamental/central tenet of a game for the sake of a result. he “took one for the team”, but where does that leave sport, the sport of football, and sportsmanship?
July 7th 2010 @ 2:35am
melikeallfootball said | July 7th 2010 @ 2:35am | Report comment
I agree it’s not necessarily about one particular football code or sport. I think this actually goes beyond sport. Given soccer is truely the world game (and professional for so long), a certain ‘culture’ is exposed for all to see (and debate). I don’t doubt for one minute that most professional sports people will exploit the laws to the nth degree – I find it more of a concern that fans/supporters aren’t far more critical of the behaviour. Many(most?) of the posts here justify the means for the result. Suarez is held up as a hero in Uruguay (I’d love to know if someone there is actually questioning it). If Football is more than ‘just a game’, and indeed a microcosm of society in general, we should all be very concerned.
July 5th 2010 @ 10:10am
MVDave said | July 5th 2010 @ 10:10am | Report comment
Errr dont know if anyone has noticed but he will miss the biggest game in 40 years for Uruguay…a World Cup semi final…a match that they perhaps are unlikely to play in again for another 40 years…if ever. Tough punishment…no doubt. As l have said on another thread, agreeing with Das, that the laws should be changed so that the penalty goal was given…
He is a hero to Uruguay only because the penalty was missed by Ghana. He did what 99% of footballers would have done in the last minute of a WC 1/4 final…he had less than a second to think about it and stuck out his hands.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:02pm
True Tah said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
The only thing bigger than a World Cup semi final is of course the World Cup final.
And of course, if Uruguay can defeat the Dutchies, then Suarez will be playing.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:04pm
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Is that right?
I understand MVDave’s point that missing the semi-final is a hefty punishment, but was what he did blatant enough to be a two-match ban?
I guess you can compare it to Kewell’s in this sense.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:14pm
MVDave said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
The point being TT there was huge build up to this game for both teams, seen as a once in a lifetime opportunity and so with the game into its last play, the only team that could win was Ghana as they had the free kick and the ball was coming into the penalty box, Suarez an attacker is based on the goal line to defend this play, he would be saying to himself (and his teammates yelling at him the same) that we just have to survive this play, the emotions/adrenalin pumping around his body would have been enormous, then within a second he has cleared the ball off the line with his legs…the elation and almost instantaneously the ball is arrowed back in his direction…two players on the line…one has to stop it! Do you think he had chance to weigh up the pros and cons of whether he should handball or just lose the biggest game in his (and country) lifetime? He knew what he had to do without taking time for the moral delimma/sportsmanship conumdrum…he and his side were punished within the rules of the game.
The fact that Suarez maybe seen as a hero is because Ghana didnt uphold their end of the resulting PK.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:17pm
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
I like the way you put it Dave.
But he is a striker, he knows he isn’t allowed to use his hands?
At the same time, you are spot on though – because Fucile (the man next to him on the line) also attempts to pull of a miraculous million dollar goal keeper dive and save, but misses the ball because of the pace.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:44pm
shannon said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
Dave, he is not missing anything. If he didn’t handball they would not be playing the semi anyway. So regardless of Suarez’s choice he wouldn’t be playing the semi.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:05pm
Jameswm said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
In rugby, if you commit a foul that probably prevented a try being scored, the attacking team gets a penalty try AND the offendor gets yellow carded for cynical play.
Why can’t the same apply to soccer – where the goal is awarded AND the offendor gets a red card as well?
July 5th 2010 @ 12:14pm
Dejan Kalinic said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
That’s been the idea floated the most.
But if the team gets a penalty to win the game, is that punishment enough?
In reality, Asamoah Gyan should have scored from the penalty spot to win the game for Ghana.
July 5th 2010 @ 12:45pm
aubgraham said | July 5th 2010 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
How about a (somewhat) novel approach. Give the team that is awarded the penalty a choice. They can accept 1/2 a point (goal) immediately or they can take a penalty and try for a full point (goal).
July 5th 2010 @ 1:34pm
Black Diamonds said | July 5th 2010 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
What would have happened if both Uruguay players had handled the ball to prevent the goal? Presumably that would have meant 2 Red Cards for handling – but would it have meant 1 Penalty kick or 2 Penalty kicks?
This is a question I’m genuinely interested in knowing the answer to, can Refs award 2 Penalty kicks at the same time?
July 5th 2010 @ 1:48pm
Al said | July 5th 2010 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
The player that handled the ball first would have been sent off. If they couldn’t determine which one it was I think the ref would have just picked the player he thought handled it first. Only one penalty kick.