Uruguay’s Sanchez needs further punishment? Hogwash.
For those of you who haven’t followed the World Cup, or tuned into SportsCenter for at least the past week, Uruguay’s Luis Suarez saved his team from a certain World Cup exit against Ghana - when he deliberately used his hands, while standing on the goal line, late in a tie game with Ghana in the quarterfinals, thereby preventing what would certainly have been the winning goal… at least for a few moments.
Apparently the rules in that scenario dictate that (a) Ghana subsequently gets a penalty kick, and (b) Suarez gets a red card, which means he’s out of that game and the next game. I don’t know the stats, but is it fair to say that players - especially at the World Cup level - score at least 65% of the time on a penalty kick? 75% of the time? Point is… Ghana had a very good chance of winning the game anyway. As it turns out, the poor Ghana guy hit the crossbar. Okay, there was still penalty kicks once extra time did not provide a winner. Uruguay won 4-2 on penalty kicks and advanced.
As a result, I’m hearing people complain that Sanchez should be subject to further sanctions. Why? Rules are in place to deal with what he did - and they seem quite fair to me. He didn’t hurt anybody physically. A lot of people are unhappy Ghana lost. I get that. But he played within the context of the game, and when he broke the rule, the consequences were applied. I’m not suggesting Ghana, or that specific player who missed the subsequent penalty kick, should be “blamed” for losing… not at all. I am suggesting Uruguay won fair and square.
To wit: Suarez is among Uruguay’s best players, if not their best player. He’s not playing in the semifinals today. That necessarily hurts the team. In the game that he committed the infraction, he was sent off. Whatever time remained would be played without him - but also, he was not available for penalty kicks. Seems like a pretty steep penalty to me, as is. He made a desperate play. He and his team accepted the consequences. As it turns out, he made the *right* play - because it took his team from sure defeat to then improbable victory. Nobody was injured or maimed in the process. What more is there to discuss?
If a Ghana guy was on a breakaway and he delivered a forearm shiver, or some other WWE move that injured the opponent and thus prevented a goal? Throw the book at him. He used his hands. His punishment fit the “crime”. No need for FIFA to make an “example” out of him.
Next.
July 6th, 2010 at 11:49 am
I agree. The rules is the rules. Change ‘em for the future if you like, but not retroactively. Otherwise, are we going to nullify Argentina’s 1986 victory because of Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal? It’s just not a constructive road to go down.
July 6th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Clearly no need to retroactively adjust the rule - but I’d also submit no need to adjust it going forward. A penalty kick, and a red card for the “offending” player that puts him out of the current game *and* the next game? Seems pretty stiff to me. This was an extraordinary set of circumstances, Ghana the only African team remaining in an event played in Africa, having never even made it this far as well, and the play occurred at the very end of the game…. and they missed the subsequent penalty kick, and they ended up losing the game.
Not to be rude here, but can’t we suggest that the Ghana guy coulda/shoulda/woulda kicked it *away* from where the Uruguyan players were? Or kicked it hard enough to go through their hands? If not, then he “allowed” for the possibility that it would be blocked - legally or not.
If an opposing player takes off his jersey, and hurls it into the path of the ball to prevent a goal? Okay, that’s extraordinary and arguably very poor sportsmanship, and merits extreme consequences. However, in this case, there was a handball in the crease and the rules/consequences seem eminently fair to address that transgression to me.
In hockey, if you pull down a guy on a breakaway - even at the end of Game 7 of Stanley Cup when the goalie is without his stick and behind the net (for whatever reason) - it’s still “just” a penalty shot (and a penalty, but no ensuing power play, as the penalty shot is in lieu of the power play - though IIRC, the player still gets sent off for two minutes… presumably to feel shame). In other words, the ruling body of the sport has decided *that* is the rule/consequence - and it’s therefore part of the game if you want to accept the consequence.
Deal with it.
July 13th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
As the biggest/most knowledgeable soccer fan on this board (ok, that’s the equivalent of being the tallest midget), I agree - no need to change the rules. There is absolutely ZERO excuse for missing a penalty kick. And I say that as an active goalkeeper; the keeper has no chance in the world to save a good, well placed kick. And it’s VERY easy to have a well placed kick. Especially at that level. At my level (recreational, co-ed 30 and over league), there is no reason I need to “guess” which way the kicker is going to kick, becuase I have plenty of time to react, as there are no superstars in my league. But even then, the odds of me saving a good kick are basically (to use a soccer team) nil. In fact, I feel no pressure when faced with a penalty kick; the odds so overwhelmly favor the kicker it’s ridiculous. If they score, they were supposed to anyway, and if I manage to make a save (ie, they fuck up the kick by hiting it right to me, or not placed close enough to either post, etc), I’m a hero.
But at THAT level, the ONLY chance a keeper has is to pick a way to dive at the outset of the kick, and hope to get lucky and get a piece of the ball.
The Ghana player choked, as simple as that. For a professional to not to score 12 yards away on a free kick with nothing between him and the keeper is simply inxcuseable.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
To carry this point a bit further, I noticed that a couple of players (from different teams) utilized a bit of a “hesitation” move and then calmly tapped the ball right up the middle. Seems like a sound strategy. As Gonzo notes, the goalie almost *has* to pick one side - and at that level, has to do so before (or at worst, as) the ball is kicked. So throw the goalie’s timing off, make sure he does actually commit to one side or the other, and then calmly take the easy goal up the middle.
Now, I’m not pretending I could do any of these things, as I’d be shaking like Dan Gilbert’s middle finger at the site of a Lebron Fathead… but for these guys? It should be a sure thing… sorry.