Liverpool’s Luis Suarez is again courting controversy after using his hand to assist in scoring what proved to be the match winner in his side’s FA Cup clash with non-league side Mansfield Town.
The conference side put in an impressively resilient display but were unable to overcome the Premier League side losing their third-round tie 2-1.
Suarez appeared to bat the ball down onto the pitch before scoring Liverpool’s second and decisive goal.
The goal effectively robbed the minnows of a chance to play an enticing – not to mention lucrative – replay at Anfield.
The resulting condemnation of Suarez has focused on what he could have done to alleviate his goal.
Some have suggested he should follow the likes of Miroslav Klose, who last season informed a Serie A referee of a similar infringement and had his goal disallowed.
Liverpool Manager Brendan Rodgers said such suggestions were unfair on the player.
“I’m not sure what people want him to do in that situation. The ball has hit him – that’s the job of the officials, to make the decision whether it was deliberate or not. It’s not his job”, Rodgers said on the club’s website.
Rodgers has a point; Suarez is not responsible for officiating the game.
However, Suarez should be criticized for the way he behaved after scoring the goal.
After scoring, he kissed the wrist of the hand he used to bat the ball down. This is the kind of behaviour that makes the minor unsporting things Suarez does actually offensive.
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll disputes any provocation by Suarez’s post-goal gesture:
“The celebration, the commonly known kiss of the wrist, was in no way an indication to opposing fans that he had cheated.”
Kissing the wrist is a common celebration, granted, but surely the Uruguayan striker should have had the common-sense to recognise that such a celebration could be seen by opposing fans and the media as inflammatory.
Suarez is definitely not known for passive post-goal celebrations.
After scoring against Merseyside rivals Everton in October, The Red’s hit man celebrated by diving in front of Toffees boss David Moyes. Moyes has earlier criticized Suarez for diving.
Given Suarez’s past history, it is no surprise he is being targeted. Even Rodgers recognises this:
“If it was someone else, we wouldn’t be discussing it to this detail.”
The worst thing about Suarez’s attitude is that it is masking his true talent. He has been the best Premier League player so far this season – save for Manchester United goal-machine Robin van Persie – but his lack of tact been damaging.
Talented players who do stupid things end up just looking plain stupid in the end. Just ask Paul Gascoigne.
Tlux
Guest
Suarez is a serial hand baller and a cheat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn_oYeugGiw video: 2010 World Cup- Uruguay v Ghana. Suarez handballs to save a certain goal and certain match winner . Red carded. Following penalty is missed. Game goes to shoot outs, Ghana loses. In my opinion plays like that are as bad a doping. To cheat in such a deliberate and match changing fashion needs to be punished with lengthy bans.
Fair Go
Guest
This would have been an opportune time for Suarez to improve his image immensely if he had informed the referee of the infringement. There are plenty of examples of sportmanship in other sports such as cricket when a batsman walks when he knows he is out or a golfer penalises himself for an infringment of rules. Sportsmen should be lauded when they exhibit good sportsmanship and deplored when they openly flaunt the rules.