Suarez’s bitter tears of failure
Ghana’s glee as their nemesis crashes out
LUIS SUAREZ had been told by a reporter before this match: ‘Ghana are looking forward to retiring you’. And though it did not precisely work out that way, some will see a huge sense of vindication about the fact he was left sitting in a dugout here, head in hands, weeping with frustration as his World Cup ended.
This was sweet justice. Defender Daniel Amartey revealed last night that when a 91st-minute South Korea winner had put Uruguay third in the group, his team-mates resolved to prevent Uruguay scoring at all costs and seal their exit on goals scored.
‘I just told my team-mates we have to defend for ourselves, so if we can’t go ( through), they don’t,’ Amartey said. Was this an act of revenge? ‘For me, yes.’
Understandable, given the despicable conduct of the Uruguayan players all evening.
There had been a cold dose of reality when Ghana were awarded — and proceeded to miss — a penalty which might have compensated for the one they blew, after Suarez’s deliberate handball helped end their World Cup 12 years ago.
But that was long before Hwang Hee- chan struck, to dismantle Suarez’s hopes that this might be his last great stand.
not really the outcome that Ghana, who had had ambition of their own to reach the last 16, had hoped for. But it was certainly something.
To quote a placard being waved from the Ghanaian section of fans: ‘ Revenge for 2010.’ There has not been a day since June 2010 that Ghanaians have not contemplated how it would be to receive another penalty kick, to compensate for the one Asamoah Gyan missed when Suarez handled on the line and helped eliminate them from the first World Cup in Africa.
But Andre Ayew made the most desperate mess of it, shuffling up to the ball and finding minimal power to gift Sergio Rochet the most comfortable save.
In the immediate aftermath of that extraordinary moment, we saw plenty which explains why very few will shed tears for Uruguay today. Midfielder Federico Valverde, following up on the kick, placed his face in front of the referee’s and gestured his glee at the miss. Darwin nunez was booked for appearing to stamp on the penalty before Ayew’s kick. The Uruguayan mentality, some call it. others might be less polite.
There was more of it from the players at the end, when his players surrounded the officials, seemingly to protest a penalty not awarded for a perceived foul on substitute Edinson Cavani. The referee decided hurrying away was advisable. The players pursued him down the tunnel.
Uruguay manager Diego Alonso was asked by an English journalist to explain this conduct at his post-match press conference. He said his translation earpiece wasn’t working.
Uruguay certainly do seem to be leaving this place with the same bitterness Ghana felt in South Africa. Alonso blamed the