Booed by the Ghana fans, Luis Suarez looked to have had the last laugh once more against the west Africans yet a late twist left him and Uruguay heartbroken.
In the unlikely scenario that philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, a proponent of the concept of eternal recurrence, had been sitting in the stands of Al Janoub Stadium to watch Uruguay-Ghana, he might well have jotted down in his notebook that football appears to repeat itself every 12 years.
The similarities between the infamous quarter-final involving these two sides at South Africa 2010 were striking: a missed penalty by the Africans, an immediate reaction from La Celeste, tears at the final whistle, and the same principal protagonist who was either, depending on the perspective of the onlooker, a hero or a villain.
That protagonist, Luis Suarez, appears to thrive on the most emotionally charged of stages, and on a night where he was booed and cheered in equal measure, he put together his best display of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
It was an evening in which the 35-year-old’s dreams turned into a nightmare: having made way for Edinson Cavani in the 66th minute he was sitting on the substitutes’ bench when news came through of Korea Republic’s late winner against Portugal, shattering Uruguayan hopes of advancing to a potential round-of-16 clash with Brazil.
When Hwang Heechan scored with the clock ticking down at Education City Stadium, there were still over ten minutes remaining. In the stands, the Uruguayan fans, glued to their mobile phones, began to spread the word.
“Korea have scored,” spat one supporter seated beside the media tribune. That update resulted in a roar resounding around the stadium and filtering down to Uruguay coach Diego Alonso: fans were now urging their team to push forward in search of a third goal, in search of qualification.
At around the same time, as Alonso gestured furiously about changes to his formation, Suarez broke down in tears on the bench, frustrated and powerless to change anything on the pitch, in what will likely be his last World Cup. Before all the urgency and desperation, the former Liverpool and Barcelona striker had been, through his involvement in both of Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s goals, instrumental in putting his team in the best possible position.
For the opener, the ball came through to him on the left-hand side of the box after it was missed by both Ghanaian central defenders; he proceeded to cut inside and unleash a right-footed effort that Lawrence Ati-Zigi did well to get hands to. Before the goalkeeper could get back to his goal and stop the ball from spinning into the net, De Arrascaeta ran in and nodded it over the line. Six minutes later, Suarez caught out the defence by unexpectedly flicking the ball in the direction of De Arrascaeta who directed a meaty volley into the net.
Suarez was, along with De Arrascaeta, arguably the best player on the pitch. He grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in trademark fashion. He battled with the opposing centre-backs, constantly badgered the referee and dominated the match with his personality. A big-game player, he delivered a performance that was so all-encompassing that he often dropped back to help develop the play and, at one point, even produced a memorable nutmeg on Inaki Williams by the left corner flag.
On a day when he was jeered from the outset by Ghana’s supporters, his contributions enabled La Celeste to take control of the encounter. The early momentum had already swung in their favour after Sergio Rochet’s penalty save, and De Arrascaeta’s brace buried any chance Ghana – seemingly reliving a bad dream – had of remaining in the tournament.
Aside from the occasional incursion by Mohammed Kudus, Ghana’s best performer in Qatar, the Uruguay back line was rarely troubled by a team that seemed resigned to their fate. But the Uruguayans, in complete control, did not step up a gear in search of a better goal difference, almost as if they were unaware that a Korean victory over Portugal would eject them from the World Cup, and that elimination could occur at any moment.
And occur it did, agonisingly and suffocatingly, in a climax that threw Uruguay into disarray. Alonso had already made his five changes and consequently had to readjust his formation as best he could, sending centre-backs Sebastian Coates and Jose Gimenez up front, with Suarez – who had gone off to a standing ovation from his compatriots in the stands – and goalscorer De Arrascaeta having been replaced earlier.
It was during the final few minutes, when Uruguay were launching aimless crosses into the box and attacking with more heart than strategy or skill, that Suarez pulled his shirt over his head to shut out the world, just like he had done on the sidelines 12 years ago, almost unable to watch as Asamoah Gyan fired his penalty kick against the bar – a penalty that had been awarded after the Uruguayan had stopped a goal-bound header with his hand.
On Friday, heartbroken and disconsolate, Suarez did it to hide his shock and to avoid what eventually happened anyway: being caught on camera and having his sadness broadcast to the world. At Soccer City the cameras had showed him celebrating joyously that Gyan miss. This time it went the other way. First the joy, then the tears. – By Fifa.com.
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