[headquarters]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Uruguay didn't "steal" the match from Ghana. Suarez did what every other player in the World Cup would have done under the same circumstances- protect his goal in a crucial game-deciding situation by any means necessary. He was punished for it and the Ghaneans received a clear-cut chance to win (the penalty). They botched it and Uruguay finished them in the shoot out. To demonize a player and a team for the actions of one player is not fair. The Ghaneans had two more opportunties to win after the red card. They controlled their own destiny and they couldn't pull it off.

Suarez is taking a lot of heat for his actions but, like I said before, any player in his right mind would have done the same thing. He saved his team from elimination. He was just doing his job. If he hadn't, he would have been a villain to his teammates, coach, fans, and countrymen. I guess, in some ways, it all comes down to perspective.

As for the Dutch, they were my darkhorse pick to win the whole tournament and I wouldn't mind seeing them do it. They, however, dive and play act a lot. Most of the Dutch players are guilty of doing it too. In the case of the Dutch, I think it's fair to characterize the whole team as blatant floppers. They go down easily at even the hint of a foul, presumably to con the ref into giving their opponents cards. A lot of players on a lot of teams do this and it is shameful. But to see a whole team doing it on a regular basis... that's embarrassing. It could come back to haunt them in the final.

lets go! had this been in a bar beermugs would be shattering around our ears and fisticuffs andoutbreaks like "BOLLOCKS!!" would have rung out .

nah- just kidding . But I do feel you are dead wrong mate !

you have some feeling for the República Oriental del Uruguay- and I like that.I was cheering for them as well right up to the last few seconds of the match when they shamed themselves by showing a disregard for the sport .I might disapprove and articulate my feeling of displeasure towards the Uruguyan side ,but to say that I demonize them or the player in question is a bit harsh .To demonize them in a discussion like this I would have to say they were the inventors of all things bad in football - "the acting like hit by a foul tackle" " the mortally wounded didnt get a penalty so up and about 5 seconds later act",the "involuntary-voluntary hands","the shirt pull", " the hand of God","The take out the oppositions most valuable player tackle to the lower knee and then feign innocense tackle","the elbow to the chest when the ref isnt looking elbow" and so on and so on ..Uruguay didnt invent or capitalize on these in any conspicious manner-indeed they fought valiantly and skillfully -to an extent - even against the mighty Dutch I grudgingly must admit .

(To call the Dutch "actors " seems unfair bythe way .)

But Uruguay did commit what in my opinion is a shameful foul.

Firstly - breaking the rules is cheating - we call it a foul ,and not an option you can speculate in on a cost-efficiency basis like happened in said match .

This is what I -and many with me - regard as the true spirit of the game .


If you cheat you get penalized -true - but thats a consequence from the cheating or foul and not a cost you deliberately factor in to your advantage .

To see you write that any player in his right mind would have used his hands in a similar manner given the situation is to broad a statement and one I feel cannot be valid.
Any player in his right mind would act out of ambition to win and sportsmanship spirit and try to stop the ball using any other part of his body than his hands !

Thats the point of the game and a rule that shouldnt be broken even though ambition has gotten the better of sportsmanship !

Stopping a clear cut goal with your hands is a foul- but its not only a common foul - its the the stereotype foul that one and all agree is cheating .

And cheating is -in fact - still considered to be BAD -even if the game seems to move more and more into grey areas regarding this.Sadly.

The only one more clear cut a blatant disregard for the spirit of the game is the defenders dirty tackle from behind of the player with the ball who is alone with the keeper.

Now, I am sure that the oriental republic of uruguay will rise again on the field and achieve honourable triumph.I will maybe go back to cheering for them agains as I was always a sucker for the underdog -Denmark,Uruguay,USA,NZ,South Africa,Japan ,Australia etc

Parting words ( in this half ) :

all in my semi humble opinion and in the spirit of a friendly game!