By now you have heard the name Luis Suárez. The Uruguay striker is accused of biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s 1-0 defeat over Italy on Tuesday. As the whole world waits for the verdict to be handed down by FIFA’s governing body, Suarez himself was seen relaxing with teammates at a beachside retreat on Thursday.
The new bad boy of Soccer is raging a debate on social media across the globe between fans of Suarez and fans of soccer alike on how long of a suspension is deserving for such an immature and disgusting act. While the debate will rage on even after FIFA’s verdict is laid down, the question will undoubtedly come up; should Luis Suárez be kicked off the Uruguayan national team?
There is no arguing Suárez’s ability on the pitch. The Liverpool striker is one of the top 10 soccer players in the world and the reigning English Premier League’s player of the year. His campaign with Liverpool this past season, which ironically was shortened ten games for a suspension regarding another biting incident, was one of the best in EPL history. His human highlight reel below is more than enough reason for a player with Suarez’s foot skills, aerial attack and striking ability to earn a place on anyone’s team.
However, there are two sides to Luis Suárez: the absolutely sensational soccer player, and the hot head on the pitch whose behavior can be absolutely mind boggling. Suarez has been suspended already an unprecedented three separate times spanning over 25 games. The man nicknamed “The Cannibal” first had a biting incident in November of 2010 while playing for Ajax in the Netherlands. In a 0-0 draw, Suarez bit PSV’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder. He was suspended seven games for that incident and upon his return, promptly led Ajax to a championship where Suarez was given an MVP medal.
After Ajax, Suárez quickly transferred to Liverpool for a record signing of 22.8 million Pounds. In October of 2011, Suárez was suspended for racially abusing opponent Patrice Evra. Suarez was suspended eight matches for the abuse and fined 40,000 Pounds. Upon his return, Suárez led Liverpool to the League Cup and he finished sixth in the coveted FIFA Balloon d’Or prize for player of the year.
In his most recent campaign with Liverpool in the 2013-2014 English Premier League season, Suárez was again involved in another biting incident. On April 21, 2013 in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea, Suárez was seen on camera biting opposing player Branislav Ivanovic on the arm, which was missed by the official in the match and Suárez was allowed to keep on playing. He later scored the equalizer in injury time an important point that would come into play later in the season. Suarez was subsequently suspended 10 games for his second biting offense and fined an undisclosed sum. When Suarez returned from his suspension later that year, he became a goal-scoring machine. He won the EPL’s Golden Boot and Player of the Year award trophies. He led his team to the championship match against Manchester City where after leading 3-0 at halftime, Liverpool fell apart and surrendered four straight goals costing them the championship.
If you’re sensing a trend in Suárez’s behavior, you are not alone. Suarez consistently displays abominable and deplorable on field behavior, only to follow it up by leading his team to the championship and numerous personal accolades.
That brings us to Tuesday, where Suárez was immersed in a defensive battle with the kings of defense, the Italians. In a must-win for both teams, Suárez was smothered and frustrated all match by the Azzurri. Suárez’s frustration and emotions had reached a breaking point in the 80th minute. The Uruguayan forward got tangled up in the box on a set piece with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. Then the moment happened. If you blinked you might have missed it live, but upon replay and numerous camera angles throughout the match, the evidence was clear. Suarez had once again bit an opponent. The referee claimed he did not see the bite and just like with Liverpool, no foul was called, no red card shown, and Suarez was allowed to stay in the game. The call by Mexican referee, Marco Rodríguez, was even more of a surprise after Chiellini pulled down his jersey to show Rodriguez Suarez’s teeth indentations in his shoulder, pleading with him to eject Suárez and level the playing field at 10-10. Rodríguez chose to ignore it. Less than a minute later, Suárez was vital in setting up the game winning goal for Uruguay, sending them on to the round of 16.
After the match, Suárez was relieved and ecstatic that his team and country were moving on to the knockout stage. He took off his jersey and walked to the corner of the stadium where he grinned his toothy grin, waving and relishing in all of the Uruguayan fans chanting his name.
The image of Suárez accepting praise and recognition for the Uruguay team accomplishment after having committed a shameless and controversial act was reminiscent of the last World Cup he played in 2010. In the quarterfinals against Ghana in South Africa, Suarez purposefully committed a handball penalty to prevent a Ghana goal near the end of the game. Intentional handballs are an unspoken rule and in the world of soccer, you simply don’t do them. Suárez received a red card and was ejected from the game. Ghana promptly missed the penalty kick and Suarez was seen cheering and celebrating on the sidelines for what he believed to be a sacrificial act that saved his team. Suárez was promptly suspended for the next game which Uruguay lost soundly to Germany without Suárez.
As of now, his coaches, teammates, and country stand behind him. Uruguay’s captain, Diego Lugano says that the alleged incident didn’t happen saying “The TV pictures don’t show anything. Noting important.” Followed by calling Chiellini a “coward.”
Uruguay’s Coach Oscar Tabarez denied seeing the bite and believes that if the referee didn’t call it, it must have not happened.
“If we believe people are attacking him, as has happened in this press conference, then we’re going to defend him,” He told the media after the match on Tuesday. “He’s a vital player, a very important person to the group.”
Luis Suárez’s attorney and Uruguay FA official claims that Suarez is the victim of Italian and English media conspiring to hurt Suarez and Uruguay after beating them and ending their World Cup. Even Uruguayan president, Jose ‘Pepe’ Mujica is supporting Suarez.
"We didn’t choose him to be a philosopher, a mechanic, or to have good manners. He’s an excellent soccer player," Mujica told reporters.
This should come as no surprise to anyone as Uruguay has a dark and shady history in defending and covering up its superstar’s past. Earlier this year, an ESPN sportswriter named Wright Thompson travelled to Uruguay to find out if a rumored story he had heard about a 15-year-old Luis Suárez headbutting a referee in a youth game leaving the referee to stand there bleeding profusely was true.
Thompson spent weeks trying to uncover the truth of the story, only to discover that everyone denied its existence and every shroud of evidence or records that could support the story had been lost or destroyed. The deception and denial continued for days until finally Thompson met with Ricardo Perdomo a man who had coached Suarez as a youth and has posters of him in his home to this day. He quickly explained to Thompson that Suarez was 16, not 15 when the incident happened, and that Suarez’s head “accidentally hit the referee in the face.” He then quickly hung up the phone.
The question now after witnessing moments like this over the course of Suarez’s career is simply, is it worth it? Is a player with the skill set and athletic ability of Suarez, worth the deplorable behavior and controversy that comes with it? Over the course of sports history we have seen the answer to that question posed many times. For NFL receiver Terrell Owens, his incredible athletic ability and touchdown celebrations, simply became overshadowed by his off the field behavior. He was labeled a “cancer” by his teammates and after serving stints with the San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles, he bounced around to Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati where he was forced into retirement because nobody wanted his baggage anymore.
The same can be said about Ron Artest (sorry ‘Metta World Peace’) and Barry Bonds alike. Players whose on the field abilities over time became overshadowed by their off the field controversies and unacceptable behavior. Both players ended their careers not with a press conference or a parade, but with the sound of silence from no teams calling asking for their services any longer.
One day I believe the same will be said about Suárez, and if he is suspended for the remainder of the World Cup and beyond as the vast majority believes he will, whomever is the coach of Uruguay in years to come will have a crucial decision to make: should Luis Suárez be on the Uruguay National Team? For me, I hope the answer is no.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
