Did Suarez cheat?

By Ian Dickinson

A hollow thud resonated as the ball thumped against the crossbar — a thud that all but silenced the African continent. Asamoah Gyan looked bewildered as did the many that had put their faith in Ghana’s Black Stars. The penalty had been awarded in the dying minutes of extra time following a blatant volleyball-like punch on the goal line from Uruguay’s Luis Suárez.

Millions of angry African eyes glared at the unlikely match-saver who was now on the sidelines jubilantly celebrating Gyan’s missed penalty kick — his red card a small price to pay. Ghana misfired in the subsequent penalty shoot-out and Africa went crashing out of the competition. Nearby, pitchforks were being sharpened as the torch-wielding mob was preparing to tar and feather the smug Uruguayan who they blamed for Africa’s World Cup exit.

In the aftermath of the epic quarterfinal, many South Africans are calling for Suarez’s blood, shouting insults like “Suarez cheated!” and “He should be banned for life!” It doesn’t help that the Ajax striker is also the player that South African goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune fouled in the box — earning Uruguay a penalty and Khune a red card — in the group stage matchup between South Africa and Uruguay. Clearly he’s not winning any popularity contests on the continent. I wouldn’t be surprised if his face appears on a ‘Wanted’ poster in the near future with a reward for his head. Of course if you are Uruguayan (or South American even) you’d be hailing the striker as a saviour — the guy who kept South American hopes alive.

So the question remains, was Suarez in the wrong? Has he really earned his title as a deceitful cheater? Well, this depends on your definition of cheating. In this case, Suarez unashamedly stopped the ball with his hands, was reprimanded for it and the necessary consequences were carried out in the form of a penalty kick. There was little deception involved — cheating seems to require something more devious and sneaky than a blatant breaking of the rules. If we called every professional foul on a football pitch a case of cheating, then soccer would be a very dirty game indeed. He deliberately broke the rules and was chastised for it.

Whilst his violation falls arguably into the realm of a ‘professional foul’, an issue that has become a contested part of the modern game, there is a reluctance to let Suarez off that easy. Cheating it may not have been, but unsportsmanlike it most certainly was. The offense was redolent of unethical, dirty tactics. Faced with the option of stopping the ball with his hands or watching it fly into the back of the Uruguayan net, he opted for the former and then claimed that it was a reactionary stop.

Of even greater concern than the striker’s actions is the manner in which he has been hailed as a national hero for his efforts and the fashion in which Suarez joked that his act is the new ‘Hand of God’, making reference to Maradona’s infamous deliberate blunder. A man of integrity and sportsmanship Suarez is most certainly not and incidents such as this place an ugly black mark on the footballing world. A team ultimately gaining victory by breaking a fundamental rule of the game leaves much to be desired.

Uruguayan coach Oscar Tabarez’s has also been making excuses for his players’ actions, becoming angry and defensive towards the British press when they questioned the nature in which his team won the game. The Uruguayan team, Suarez in particular, need to accept that they employed an underhanded method (pun intended) to gain an advantage over an oppositthat was outplaying them. They were successful in this regard, but should accept that their victory is an empty one. If it’s not cheating, it certainly is very poor football.

So what should Fifa do to ensure that things like this don’t happen in the future? The introduction of a penalty goal rule akin to that found in rugby is a complicated issue. In this case, the ball would definitely have been in the net had it not been for the handball. However, should a penalty goal rule be introduced there will certainly be situations in the future where a great deal more doubt is involved. Enter technology. A lot of people are calling for the introduction of technology into the game — a prospect that others see as antithetical to the fundamental nature of the beautiful game. However, in a World Cup where refereeing inconsistencies have been commonplace, it seems technology would offer a welcome contribution.

Perhaps the best solution, failing any kind of change to the rules of the game, is to implement stronger post-match punishments following any infractions that take place on the pitch. A referee in the heat of the game would do well to get every decision correct. Using post-match footage, acts of unsportsmanlike behaviour could be easily detected and punishments could be enforced. Maybe Suarez would have thought twice about playing goalkeeper if he knew that it could mean a substantial suspension from international football. Whether or not Uruguay will continue further in the competition remains to be seen, but the nature in which they progressed is certainly shrouded in doubt. Sepp, it’s time to make some changes, the beautiful game is sadly slipping away.

Ian Dickinson is a masters graduate who has conducted research in the travel journalism