I Am Not A Psychologist, but when faced with an adult who has *multiple *confirmed biting incidents, I might be inclined to assume that he suffers from some legitimate mental defect.
Even aside from the fact that you’re wrong about the Greece call (proof is above, posts #1512 and #1537), I think the officiating has been pretty good this time around. A couple of PKs awarded to dives early on, but without instant replay you’re simply going to miss some of those. It feels like there have been fewer really bad calls, and a lot of confrontations have ended with a quick conference and a handshake.
Which is why we need to be able to use video replays to aid the referee. After the game doesn’t help Italy.
All in all it sounds like Uruguay have been very lucky.
(I didn’t see the incident) Godin apparently should have been booked for hitting Sturridge in the throat. He was already on a yellow and should have been sent off. It was still 0-0 at this point.Picture here.
Italy has a man sent off somewhat harshly.
Godin scores for Uruguay when he should have been suspended.
Referee fails to see Suarez bite Chiellini.
Ultimately though, Italy should blame themselves. They clearly played for the draw. Once Uruguay scored they actually decided to try to score themselves and were by far the better team.
But on the other hand, Uruguay should have had a penalty kick early, when the Italian defender literally had both arms and a leg wrapped around the attacker in the box.
And then there was last World Cup when he did this.
There’s also the ban for allegedly racially abusing Evra, however I have to agree that the lack of evidence, more going on testimony rather than facts, made that a bit dodgy. However, his actions regarding that (refusing the shake Evra’s hand despite telling his employers that he would, refusing to stop talking about the incident despite being told to by his employers …) have not been pleasant.
I don’t care what he’s like off the field. On the field he’s a fucking disgrace and is due a long, long ban.
ETA:
Yeah, that was supposed to be in addition to what you wrote in reply to polar bear, but it ended up looking like I was addressing you. Sorry about that.
Yeah, I don’t really care what he is like off the field. Lots of people manage to be good human beings in both professional and private spheres. I’ll reserve any behavioural free passes for them on the infrequent occasions when they slip up. Suarez can go swivel, he’s used all his up long ago.
He isn’t owed a career. If he can’t behave himself in line with how the organisation dictates then tough. No matter how good he is the game won’t be impoverished by his absence, nor will he be hurled into penury.
I thought the Greek penalty was unfair. The defender is coming in to attack the ball and the Greek player’s backswing hits him. Then the Greek player kicks himself with the deflected shooting leg and falls down. It’s not the defender’s fault that he happened to be where the attacker’s swing went; he certainly didn’t do anything intentional that resulted in the contact.
The defender was nowhere near the ball and he didn’t even go for the ball.
It isn’t the backswing of the shot that catches the leg it is the downswing
But it isn’t the falling over that is the foul, it was the defender’s clear interruption of the shot, inadvertent or not.
no, the defender moved his leg into the path of shooters leg. He was in motion as he was running back to try and make a tackle.
I refer you to the video in one of my previous post. Have a look at that and tell me your impressions above are still valid.
The best you can say is that it was clumsy defending and not malicious, the equivalent of running across the back of player with the ball and catching but sorry, that’s exactly what you get penalised for.
What?!? I disagree with this completely. First of all, the leg was swinging forward when the Ivorian nailed it. Secondly, the defender stuck his leg in quite purposefully to block the kick. I think you’ve been watching the super slo-mo reply too much. Watch the wider angle replay and tell me the contact was accidental. Nope, not accidental, just really way too late and an unavoidable penalty as the defender was badly out of position.
It is bad luck for the defender - I don’t think he was intentionally trying to take out the Greek player. But he definitely steps in and takes out the shooting leg, and that’s absolutely a foul.
I agree that there was no real intent, just a despairing clumsy attempt to get a challenge in. But unfortunately, clumsy and well-intentioned challenges will get you penalised.
Yes, I should have said downswing. So what? He has the right to be there. If you can’t shoot because there is a player in the path of your swing, that’s your problem.
I’m really upset about the Suarez bite. Many people, myself included, felt like he was surpassing Messi and Ronaldo as the best player in the world. Now all that talent will be wasted. He clearly has a mental problem. People talk about how great athletes take on a different persona on the playing field. Unfortunately the combination of his skill and determination comes with a very ugly side for him. He probably also lost a huge amount of money since it looked very likely that he was headed for Barcelona, but I’m sure that’s no longer an options any more. I hope FIFA and the EPL treat him more like a sick man instead of a criminal. Either way, I suspect he won’t be playing anywhere for at least a year.
On a different note, I noticed that if Argentina beats Nigeria 1-0 and Iran beats Bosnia 1-0, then Nigeria and Iran will be completely tied in term of goal differential, goals scored. They also drew 0-0. Does that mean that they would have to flip a coin to see which advances? That would be a shame. Has this happened before?
I don’t know if you’ve played before but if you aren’t going for the ball and you make a movement to interfere with what the other player is trying to do (shoot, head, pass whatever) then…you’ll get penalised.