This article is a re-post and merge of my now defunct OurFootballBlog football writing blog from 2010 – 2011.
I’ve got to say I’m really surprised that the blatant cheating by Uruguay’s Suárez has been completely passed over in all reports and even with the Ghana fans. With the last kick of the game he stops the ball with his hands on the line, not 10 yards out, not 5 yards out, right on the line – if he does not cheat then this is a clear goal plain and simple. Oh yes kids another rant from me, but fear not for I bring with it pearls of wisdom.
I Sir, demand satisfaction!
What justice do Ghana then get for this clear aberration? They get the ball moved back to the penalty spot and the goalkeeper given another go at making the save he missed first time around. Suarez is sent of as well – not that Ghana get any advantage from this as the game is finished as soon as the penalty is taken. In other words their justice for such a clear instance of cheating, for stopping the clear fact of a goal is… a slap in the face.
A lot can be learned, from Rugby?
Lately it seems the world of football has a lot to learn from other sports, be it video replays, the use of other technology and even perhaps a ‘three appeals’ system. Another idea was brought to my attention last night by my new father in law, the concept of the Penalty Try in Rugby. Forgive me as I know squat all about Rugby, but my understanding here is that in such an instance as last night a penalty try (or penalty goal in a football sense) would have been awarded. The ball was going it in the net, it was on the line, there was no shade of grey involved, it should have been a goal and with this rule in place the referee would have awarded the goal. There are few other rules that make more sense than this, there should be no advantage to be gained by illegally stopping the ball going into the net and this rule solves that problem. Last night Uruguay benefited from this rule oversight.
Again, and again…
I’m sick and tired of seeing cheats prosper in football, Thierry Henry before the tournament, now Suárez during the tournament. Ghana went out on penalties last night because it was 1-1 at full time, not because they couldn’t score that vital goal, they were a hands width away from doing that, but because yet again the current football rules favour cheats and vindicate decisions without any sound basis. I fear for the future of football as a technical game and in a commercial sense when results can be tampered with in such a way. We might as well script the games like American wrestling instead if it’s for entertainment and not about sport.
Ghana scored two goals last night not one. They should be the worthy opponents to the Dutch in the Semi Finals, but another instance of cheating combined with the inadequacies of the current rule set in football took that opportunity from them – they were cheated, we were cheated, but more importantly, once again, football was cheated.
(Hell yes I bolded that last remark!)
