Will Ghana’s ride continue or is the clock about to strike midnight?
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by Randinho| 264 Comments
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Will Ghana’s ride continue or is the clock about to strike midnight?
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You Don't Say
Did everyone lose the ESPN feed?
MattR
@You Don’t Say: TV or internet? TV is fine for me still.
You Don't Say
@You Don’t Say: OK, no worries. Just nervous. ;-)
Go Ghana!
J.W. Hamner
I’m rooting for the Black Stars, but Uruguay is too good I think. They’re lock down capable defensively, and surprisingly creative offensively. I think they’re the most underrated team left right now, and it honestly wouldn’t surprise me to see them in the final match.
Now watch them lose 3-0… which would be cool too, I guess.
DanF
Ghana has the talent – my question is their conditioning. The were really flagging at the end of the US game and I felt they were fortunate that the US looked even flatter. I like their chances, and I’m rooting for them!
DanF
@You Don’t Say: Feed is fine for me right now.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
@You Don’t Say: I lost it, but it’s back. Of course, I’m having trouble hearing it over the Golden Earring I’m blasting.
Jack
Go, Ghana. That is all.
NameRequired
Go Uruguay!
Miss Kitka's Comrade Wayne
Whatever else might happen, please observe that the final syllable in Uruguay is pronounced “Gweye”, not “Gway.” And furthermore, it’s the only country left in this WC whose name ends with a tripthong.
Top that, mono-voweled Ghana.
ETA: and by “Gweye” I mean that it should rhyme with “why,” not with “whey.”
Oh bother. Just get on with the match please.
J.W. Hamner
Well it looks like the crowd is pretty pumped for the Black Stars, which is awesome to see.
Paula
I’m about neutral. Let’s get on with this bitch.
stuckinred
@That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN):
No more speed, I’m almost there
Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go
And the line of cars drove down real slow
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
I expect the South American Lone Ranger to show up any time now.
Stroszek
Uruguayan players look shaky.
You Don't Say
Jaunty anthem, Uruguay!
Alex S.
Uruguay’s hymn is beautifully baroque, I root for Ghana, though. It’s time for an african team in the semis.
NameRequired
Uruguayans love to play with the public against them, it’s in their blood, see 1950 World Cup final Maracaná Stadium, Brazil….
J.W. Hamner
Two strikers for Uruguay… interesting.
Mark S.
Dunga’s already gone, but Fabio is staying. This reminds me of something that didn’t come up in last night’s thread about UEFA qualifying: in Europe, the Euro Cup is a prestigious enough tournament that you can make two year commitments to coaches. For the rest of the world, the World Cup is the only game in town, so it’s a four year tour of duty.
(Apologies if this doesn’t make any sense. Waking up in the middle of the night with a leg cramp has left me feeling like Brazil after Melo scored for the other team.)
Corner Stone
@Mark S.:
I HATE that shit. Waking up hopping on one leg somewhere between your bed and the bathroom door and not knowing why for a split second really sucks.
Corner Stone
@Paula: I like the way you think.
Martin
I’ve got my support behind Ghana. Would like nothing better than to see an African team in the final on their home continent. (Though they aren’t looking like a winning team so far.)
Paula
@J.W. Hamner:
They can probably tell that although Ghana can get the ball to the goal they take a lot of long, wide shots that have little hope of making it in.
Even if Uruguay let in a goal, they’re banking on being more accurate in shooting. Of course, that’s for naught if they can’t make it past Ghana’s midfielders.
stuckinred
@Martin: You are a great athletic supporter!
Martin
@Miss Kitka’s Comrade Wayne: American exceptionalism means we’ll pronounce it however the fuck we want. They should just be thankful we haven’t invaded them.
J.W. Hamner
As an Ignorant American, this really confuse me: the entire tournament we are watching is “The World Cup Finals” right? So what do you can the actual final match? The World Cup Finals Final?
stuckinred
@Martin: Fuckin-A dawg!
Mark S.
@Corner Stone:
And it wakes all the cats up who are soon all up and agitating for food, fresh water, and to go out. At least that’s how it works at my house.
J.W. Hamner
We (USA) don’t have anybody who can remotely first touch like Suarez just did.
ColeDBiers
I love my family.
My daughter thinks this is all rigged because the team listed first keeps winning. (cept for usa)
Plus she and I just got in a great shouting match about Uruguay…
Uruguay!
No! You’re a guay!
NO! Uruguay!!
etc.
NameRequired
Hey! there are some black Uruguayan players!, why not pull for them too?
PaulW
If Ghana doesn’t win we’re stuck with yet another South America/Europe-dominated Cup Final Four.
J.W. Hamner
What a save!
Paula
ESPN’s stats say that Uruguay don’t care about being the bad guys right now. In all honesty, I thought they’d be cowed by the home-team crowd.
valdivia
I am hoping Uruguay goes all the way.
Alex S.
@NameRequired:
I wouldn’t be too sure about their Uruguayness, we haven’t seen their birth certificate, yet.
J.W. Hamner
I like that both teams are just playing… without a lot of theatrics.
NameRequired
@Alex S.:
Jajajajajaja :D
Bill Murray
@Martin: we did think about invading them though. Well actually that was the tri-border region of Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil. So Uruguay was OK
J.W. Hamner
Kingston is having an amazing tourney… is any goalie playing better than him?
handy
Go Ghana! Keep the dream alive!
Corner Stone
@Mark S.:
I always end up wondering where I’m going to bury *this* hooker.
Ann B. Nonymous
Is this the swan song for the African octopus? or will the clock strike midnight for the Uruguayan orchestra?
Only one thing is certain.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
Ghana has now missed wide right, wide left, and wide high.
You Don't Say
Argh!
J.W. Hamner
Let’s go Black Stars! Sooo close (x2)!
valdivia
ghana is definitely dominating the last 10 min.
J.W. Hamner
I wish we could have seen what this Ghana team was like with Essien leading that formidable midfield.
Alex S.
I think Ghana has got the …air superiority.
Miss Kitka's Comrade Wayne
this is pathetic.
Paula
I think that injury just doomed Uruguay.
Martin
Ooof! That was a brutal fall. A guy can break his neck doing that…
S. cerevisiae
Holy Shit!
Miss Kitka's Comrade Wayne
omg Fucile might be dead.
HumboldtBlue
Fucile just broke his own neck
valdivia
that was an ugly ugly fall.
wengler
He’s fine. Footballers need to learn how to fall so they aren’t hitting arm or head first.
There’s always that one English goalkeeper that broke his neck but played out the match.
J.W. Hamner
If I wasn’t already rooting for them, I’d switch allegiance for a bicycle kick.
J.W. Hamner
GOOAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
Well that’s an effective way to end the half.
handy
Comment on twitter:
At one point Fucile was legally dead! It’s amazing what a bottle of water can do to these players. Resurrection.
Lolz.
Gozer
Wow
Violet
GHANA! WOW! Now that’s a goal!
S. cerevisiae
Ghana!
valdivia
from the Guardian Blog:
Elie
@valdivia:
Hi valdivia…havent seen you around in a while so nice to see your handle again..
valdivia
because I am already on the record about my hatred of maradona let me rant: with Brazil being out and if Uruguay loses (hope not) I have little hope for Paraguay. That would mean the only latin team left would be argentina: I am telling you now, fuck hemispheric latin solidarity if it means Argentina wins. That is all.
Onkel Fritze
@wengler: That was Bert Trautmann, a German playing for Manchester City, in the FA cup final in 1956. They won 3-1, also, too.
valdivia
@Elie:
thanks Elie. I have been, um, taking advantage of summer ;)
Alex S.
Uh, dramatic first half. It had everything. Very clever shot that resulted in a goal. I’m SO glad that uruguayan player is allright. That looked horrible at first. Ghana will now play on a wave of enthusiasm.
Violet
@valdivia:
Knowing how much you hate Maradona, that would indeed be cruel.
I am really pulling for Ghana. I’d love to see an African country do well.
Violet
This movie “The Expendables” looks hilariously awful. I must see it.
Irritable Liberal
Loved when Inkoom did an imitation dive in front of Suarez who already has a couple to his credit. Second time he went to ground holding his head when nothing touched it.
Miss Kitka's Comrade Wayne
@valdivia: I pledge full solidarity to your position on Dieguito Armando Maradona.
Now if only someone can shake this here game by the neck.
Violet
Was ESPN late getting back to the match because of a Shake Weight for Men commercial? That’s seriously bad. It’s the World Cup quarter finals, not a friendly.
J.W. Hamner
Good job by the ref so far.
Montysano
Ghana has now scored two of the most spectacular goals of the World Cup: today’s bender, and Gyan’s incredible goal against the USA. The bicycle kick attempt was nice, also too.
valdivia
@Miss Kitka’s Comrade Wayne:
yay! I am not alone in my hatred. Also. Too. Maradona made some truly awful comments about teh gay in a press conference.
@Violet:
yeah it would be very cruel indeed. I am still hoping the blue guys pull it out.
Paula
Well, the Uruguayans can take heart: if the USA can tie these guys up and take it into extra time, so can they.
EDIT: CALLED IT.
Violet
My theory of whoever is wearing white losing the match doesn’t work on this one. They’re both in non-white, with some white on their uniforms. Uruguay probably has more white that isn’t just the number, but I’m not sure that really works for my theory.
NameRequired
Vamo, Vamo arriba la celeste! Chupense esa!
Leeds man
As the one Commonwealth nation left in the Cup, Ghana owes it to the Queen to give it their all. For the Empire, chaps!
Violet
That was an amazing goal.
Violet
The Ghanaian goalkeeper’s uniform looks like it’s got tiger stripes on one arm. Very fashionable.
J.W. Hamner
Uruguay has started a Portuguese diving program I see.
valdivia
wow that was really good. Go Uruguay!
Eric S.
Just back from lunch and watching the 1st half. Can anyone tell me why Fucile attempting to kill himself was a foul on Ghana. From my perspective all contact was initiated by Fucile.
Andy K
What must it be like to be Diego Forlan? He’s as talented as anyone in the tournament, and is better looking than the entire Spanish team put together. Tough life.
That said: Go, Ghana!
Violet
@Andy K:
Yeah, Forlan is very good looking. Love the hair.
J.W. Hamner
I am the UBER jinx. Kingston losing it.
KG
unfortunately, I can’t get the video on my computer at work. Just checked the ESPN gamecast and I see that they have highlight videos for yellow cards, but not for goals. um, wtf?
Guess it’s on to the radio.
J.W. Hamner
OMFG. Forlan is ridiculous.
valdivia
@J.W. Hamner:
if you are can you promise to be with Argentina tomorrow? pretty please?
J.W. Hamner
Should have been penalty kick for my bicycle kick buddy.
NameRequired
@valdivia:
With al due respect Valdivia, DIAF! :D
Leeds man
@valdivia:
No worries. The Germans will win Özily.
Andy K
@valdivia:
I’m with you, but only because I work closely with an Argentinian woman and I told her I would- unless they run into Spain or Holland. In the past, they were my least favorite squad, along with Italy.
valdivia
@NameRequired:
ha ha ha. :D I promise not to out your comments to Breitbart!
@Leeds man: I hope so.
@Andy K: my problem is with Maradona. I really wish the players would get the credit for their wins. They haven’t because he has taken over center stage. I really like Messi.
J.W. Hamner
@valdivia:
OK… I have trouble dealing cognitively with a German team that is enjoyable to watch, but you’ve got a deal… I’ll root for the Germans tomorrow, since I’d say their offensive prowess puts Maradona’s team to shame.
valdivia
@J.W. Hamner:
no no wait. if you are an uber jinx you have to cheer for Argentina! don’t jinx my Germans!!!!
NameRequired
@valdivia:
Muahahahaha too late
J.W. Hamner
@J.W. Hamner:
Err, I meant: Go Argentina!
NameRequired
@J.W. Hamner:
No takesies backesies!
Violet
@valdivia:
Any idea what colors tomorrow’s teams are wearing? Whoever is wearing white will lose, according to my non-scientific, completely ridiculously observation of a handful of matches in this World Cup. Does Argentina ever wear white?
J.W. Hamner
@NameRequired:
Damnit! Sorry valdivia, the damn-age is done.
valdivia
@Violet:
you know I thought of you when I was at the gym and noticed the Brazilians were wearing their version of white. I think Argentina does? Have no idea. I am still hoping JW Hamner’s cheering for them will be enough to undo whatever curse white wearer’s have.
So is Uruguay now out of replacements in case they go extra time?
NameRequired
@Violet:
Argentina will use the old trusty lightblue and white, Germnay I dont know.
Alex S.
Hmm, Uruguay played pretty lazily for the last 30 minutes. They were just testing the keeper. I’d say that Ghana looks physically stronger.
Violet
@NameRequired:
I don’t think the Argentinian striped blue and white uniform counts for the curse because Argentina has worn it several times and they’ve won. If they’re wearing that, Germany is probably wearing something darker or brighter so they’ll be clearly differentiated on the pitch.
Miss Kitka's Comrade Wayne
This is the Suckest 1/4 Final Evah.
J.W. Hamner
Uruguay needs to win this in extra time… Kingston is too good to depend on penalty kicks. I swear that’s not a jinx.
Svensker
Eeek. Come on Ghana, you can do it! I think they are too tired going into the overtime, tho. We’ll see.
stuckinred
Ugh, I need to get to the Y to swim!
Violet
Sorry, can someone remind me…it’s two 15 minute halves with no golden goal, right?
valdivia
@Violet:
2 extras of 15 and then penalties if still tied.
HumboldtBlue
I just find the whole Argentina-Germany too easy a target for snark. I mean, really? I can see the goose-stepping from my house!
HumboldtBlue
Sheesh, one minute Ghana looks like world-beaters and then they go on 5-minute brain fart expeditions.
Violet
@valdivia:
Thanks.
@HumboldtBlue: Aren’t they one of the youngest teams at the World Cup? I wonder if some of it is just inexperience or something.
Alex S.
I’m gonna jinx it….
These two teams are too exhausted to score.
Violet
Both teams look utterly exhausted.
Oooh..lucky save there.
J.W. Hamner
Forlan has eclipsed Rooney
valdivia
@HumboldtBlue:
you win this thread!
HumboldtBlue
OOOOoooooo….close Ghana…
Yes Vi, they are very young
HumboldtBlue
I really like Gyan, non-stop motor on that guy.
valdivia
what is it with those really high balls from Uruguay?
folkbum
The ref certainly does seem to be letting them play this game. I like that.
Violet
Ghana really wants this.
HumboldtBlue
Boateng is so annoying and not because he displayed some truly atrocious sportsmanship against the U.S. He reminds me of that asshole tight end for the browns, Winslow Jr.
Ghana has really put the pressure on.
Gozer
Ghana is really keeping the pressure on.
Violet
Holy cow! What the heck?
Violet
Oh, no! How did he miss that?
Alex S.
AAAAaaaaAAAAaaAAa!!!
PanAmerican
@Alex S.:
Well you tried.
Mark S.
Goddamn it! How did he missed that?
valdivia
wow wow wow
J.W. Hamner
Drama; this game has it.
folkbum
F me. Uruguay just gave that away.
Edit: And F me again. Crossbar!
You Don't Say
Heartbreaker!
Violet
WOW! Now that was an ending. And there’s still the shootout to go. Loved that shot of Suarez heading to the tunnel. So relieved.
Svensker
OMG.
folkbum
And Suarez can’t take one of the PKs.
Martin
Wow, I don’t even know what to say.
HumboldtBlue
Awww man, fuck fuck fuckity fuck … three separate times uruguay kept that ball outta the net including the hand ball
otmar
Suarez did the right thing. Letting the ball pass meant a certain loss. Using the hand gave them a 20% chance of getting into the shoot-out.
You Don't Say
Go Ghana!
J.W. Hamner
Advantage Ghana I think.
Violet
Who is going to win the penalty shootout? Is one team favored?
Dr. Squid
And Uruguay was given it right back. How does that miss?
stuckinred
How do they pick the PK’ers? Coach just designate?
stuckinred
@J.W. Hamner: Going second?
PanAmerican
Just a miserable circumstance for Ghana to go right into pk’s.
valdivia
god. this game is going to give me a heart attack.
Alex S.
Wasn’t it the same in 1990? Cameroon vs England?
stuckinred
Get right back on that bike!
Violet
Good for him! Mental toughness!
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
What happens if it stays tied all the way through the lineup? Does it matter that Uruguay is a man down and would get there first?
You Don't Say
No!
Violet
Oh, no! And he’s the captain.
folkbum
That save may be it.
Uruguay have gotten this the hard way.
EDIT: I jinxed it!
Second EDIT: I jinxed it again!
Violet
NO! What the heck was that kick?
stuckinred
El choke…twiced!
Thrice
otmar
equal again
otmar
oh dear, uru gave them a lifeline and he misses …
You Don't Say
Fuck.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
Looks my question is going to be moot, but I’d still be interested in the answer.
PanAmerican
El Loco FTW
valdivia
Uruguay!!
folkbum
That was a pretty dickish kick from Agreu.
Violet
Oh, wow. That was a crazy kick. Congrats to Uruguay. Hard fought match.
otmar
Old proverb: You get the goals you don’t shoot yourself.
Svensker
Shit.
valdivia
@PanAmerican: as they say in Univision:
El Loco lo coloco!
You Don't Say
Ghana robbed.
Martin
Ok, that’s just wrong.
Dr. Squid
Just: Wow.
HumboldtBlue
sheesh … Gyan, I jinxed you and I apologize forever.
Mark S.
Damn it, Ghana missed three fricking penalties out of five. What a horrible way to lose.
Alex S.
Poor Ghana, they missed it by 2 inches.
Head Like An Orange
Ho-Lee Shit, what a finish from the last guy… Gotta feel bad for Ghana, though…
Violet
Gyan has to be devastated. What a horrible ending for him.
Dr. Squid
You write a sequence like that in a script, no one would believe it.
NameRequired
URUGUAY NO MÁS QUE NO NI NO! VAMOSA RRIBA LA CELESTE!!!!
Leeds man
Poor Gyan. He deserved a better outcome. Hope he gets over it.
wengler
Suarez has got to be suspended for 2+ games at least. Becoming the second goalkeeper is cheating on a massive scale.
You Don't Say
Suarez should hang his head in shame.
Irritable Liberal
God must be Uruguayan. There is no other rational explanation.
dmd76
Ha Ha. It’s going to be Uruguay – Argentina in the finals, and the Albicelestes will avenge their 1930 loss.
Vamos, vamos Argentina,
vamos, vamos a ganar,
que esta barra quilombera,
no te deja, no te deja de alentar.
Violet
@wengler:
Yeah, is there any other kind of punishment other than just a red card?
otmar
@wengler: He will miss games for that for sure. But it certainly was worth it at that stage.
(wengler? Heiko?)
valdivia
I do feel bad for Ghana but I have to say Viva Uruguay! I am happy for them and their goalkeeper really did his job in the penalties.
Violet
Love the Guardian liveblog:
Cheating little sods. Streak of evil. Heh.
HumboldtBlue
Actually, give Suarez credit he made a play that saved his team when for all the world it appeared he had just tossed them out. Anything in desperation.
Violet
After watching Forlan play, I’m glad he gets to go forward. He’s an absolutely amazing player.
valdivia
I have to say though, Suarez is not playing in the semis, he got punished. There have been times when the whole cup has been won by cheating no? Maradona anyone? And he never got the hang head in shame treatment eh?
NameRequired
@Irritable Liberal:
The “other” hand of god?.
Martin
@wengler: I agree. That was a guarantee goal that was taken away by an intentional hand ball on the goal line. The current rules shows that there is no downside to in a free kick situation at the end of a sudden-death game to just putting a few extra guys on goal line and letting anyone catch the ball.
Irritable Liberal
@Violet: Suspended for the next game so Uruguay are pretty screwed against Holland.
Violet
@Irritable Liberal:
But that’s the result of the red card, right?
Dr. Squid
Suarez’ handball is like a beaten cornerback tackling the receiver in the end zone during a pass, only to see the offense fail to punch it in from the 1.
Seems like cheating, but thems the rules.
Martin
@Violet: Make the guy walk unattended back to his hotel room. I’ll be surprised if there aren’t some ugly repercussions to this.
Martin
@Irritable Liberal: More screwed than Ghana vs Holland in the semis?
Violet
@Martin:
They should get him bodyguards. He has to be one of the least popular guys on the continent at this point.
wengler
The big winners of this game? Netherlands.
They go from having a hostile crowd rooting against them to playing a weakened Uruguay with the stadium painted orange.
You Don't Say
@Irritable Liberal: Go Netherlands!
HumboldtBlue
Good analogy Doc. In that split second he did whatever he could to keep the ball out. Not only is it hard to call that “cheating” I think it’s absurd to call it cheating.
cheating is flopping on the ground and drawing a red card for your opponent even though he never touched you. Cheating is deceiving the referee into thinking you have just suffered a compound fracture of the femur when an opposing player batted his eyes at you.
What Suarez did was instinctive.
Violet
@wengler:
True enough. And they had an easier game today, so the recovery will be easier, even though they have several days to recover.
You Don't Say
@HumboldtBlue: Ridiculous. He’s a professional soccer player, not an 8 year-old.
Dr. Squid
@Martin:
So? How do you propose to change that? Award the goal automatically along with the red card? Is that only good in extra time or throughout the match? Add a draw and quarter punishment if done then?
He did the handball. He took his punishment. And he saved his team’s bacon. No whining, “No FAAAAIIIIR,” afterwards when the rules get applied and the outcome isn’t what you personally want.
Violet
I think the ESPN announcers just said that Dunga has already resigned. No surprise there.
stuckinred
@Dr. Squid: It’s like fouling someone on a breakaway to make them shoot freethrows to win. It was the only chance they had. You commit the foul, take the penalty and have A chance when you would have had none.
HumboldtBlue
@You Don’t Say: I’ve played and watched too many sporting events … that was an instinctual play on Suarez’s part and he should have been rightly penalized by Gyan making the penalty.
Gyan, bless his hard-working heart, could have made all of this moot and by the skin of the ball, Uruguay got lucky.
wengler
@Dr. Squid
I’m all for changing the rules to make it an automatic goal for handball on the line in extra time. The incentive for stopping a handball(getting sent off, suspension, PK) doesn’t matter much in the situation Uruguay was in. If Suarez follows the rules Uruguay loses. If he becomes the second goalkeeper, Uruguay has a small percentage of winning. This is just another thing that Sepp Blatter and the FIFA office are going to have to pretend to care about.
valdivia
@Violet:
yeah. no surprise. but wow that was fast.
wengler
@Humboldt Blue
That is the most obvious handball on the line by a defender that I have ever seen. Usually they will stick out an arm or a hand directly to the side. Suarez damn near caught that ball.
Paula
Uruguay got lucky as fuckkkkkk.
I can’t really feel sorry about the handball, because that PK was Gyan’s to miss — and he did. Unlucky as fuck.
I have to say, if an embittered USA fan were to write the cruelest way for Ghana to exit the WC, he would have a hard time topping this.
Those two kickers who missed for Ghana were practically giving the goalie the ball. Extra dumb points for the 2nd kicker who placed it IN THE SAME DAMN SPOT. What did you think was gonna happen, man??
I began neutral, and by the end of the extra time I was rooting for pain, pain, pain for everyone in the form of penalty kicks. And I got it. Can watch Germany/Argentina cleansed of all ill will.
You Don't Say
@HumboldtBlue: But you said “Anything in desperation.” Which is it?
Dr. Squid
@stuckinred:
I’m sorry the sport I chose wasn’t approved ahead of time. I’ll have to go to the Fucking Crybaby Panel to find out what sports are acceptable to talk about at this time of year.
You agree with me and call me silly simultaneously? Honestly. Just throw a shoe next time.
Lynch
@Dr. Squid: I disagree. It’s like a defense player pushing the ball back out through the bottom of the hoop, and then making the shooter take two free throws.
Ghana was robbed. It’s just another example of the FIFA rules being slightly slanted toward those who are wont to break the rules.
HumboldtBlue
It can be both desperate and instinctive. Plus, the penalty against Suarez was immediate — a penalty shot. If Gyan had made it we’d be talking about the justice of it all and how Suarez and Uruguay rightfully deserved to lose because of a the hand ball.
It is what it is. FIFA has no backup plan, their officials are unaccountable and the eschew any form of technology. They have players doing the Greg Louganis all over the field, deliberate attempts to deceitfully sway the outcome of a game. A guy with his back to the goal line as time runs out gets desperate and acts instinctively, if not according to the rules.
Dr. Squid
@Lynch: Great. Now that you have offered a fantasy situation that can’t possibly happen because of hoops’ rules, how about joining the rest of us in real life?
Paula
@HumboldtBlue:
Inclined to agree. Ghana got a penalty kick. Gyan missed, which is ironic given that the two goals they got out of group stage were penalty kicks from him.
It was just unlucky. I would place most of the blame on the 2 kickers on Ghana’s squad who missed.
Irritable Liberal
Suarez is an inveterate diver and faker.
He faked a bump to the head when the ball barely grazed his head. Inkoom was called for hte foul right behind Suarez but had barely touched.
A few minutes later after a dead ball situation the two were running back and jawing at each other when Inkoom did an exaggerated dive. The ref jumped between them quickly.
I cracked up.
Will be grieving for some time. As a former South African I was definitely Ghanaian today.
valdivia
@HumboldtBlue:
I agree with you. How can the game be robbed from Ghana when they got a penalty kick out of it and missed it? If Suarez were in the game and there had been no penalty I can understand the whole they were robed meme but they had their chance and lost it. Cruel but thems the breaks.
Bill Murray
so is illegally handling the ball in the box something that is taught in South America from a young age?
To the person that wondered how the penalty taker order is decided — the coach chooses the order of the 11 usually based on knowledge of their ability to take a good kick and their ability/desire to do so under the pressure.
@HumboldtBlue: which has zero to do with whether it was cheating. Instinctual or not it was a deliberate violation of the rules. The red card proves that. The applicable definition of cheating is “To violate rules deliberately, as in a game:” Cheating is cheating regardless of how congenial the final result is to the result you desire.
stormhit
Squid’s CB in football parallel is still the most apt.
Nobody would be whining about awarding a TD just because the team got stuffed at the one in the following play. And if they were that would be ridiculous.
Bill Murray
@valdivia: being robbed and cheating are not equivalent. I imagine you howled pretty loudly about your boy Maradona’s Hand of God goal, assuming you were old enough to have experienced it first hand.
burnspbesq
@wengler:
” That is the most obvious handball on the line by a defender that I have ever seen.”
Short memory you’ve got there. Ever heard of Torsten Frings?
Therese
Ugh! I missed the end of the game because I had to pick up my son from a bday party. Now I’m back, have read the comments and am dying to see footage but stupid Sportscenter is blabbing about LeBron James!
Bill Murray
@stormhit: I think a case can be made that this may be closer to Dicky Moegle’s run in the 1954 Cotton Bowl or in Rugby when a penalty try is scored.
Dr. Squid
@stormhit: Why thank you. In the history of American football, a touchdown has been awarded just once when the defense broke the rules and the offense failed to score on that play.
abdo
what happend was fucked so a players in extra time can play goal keeper & get a way with it i hope in the next play urguay get fucked
HumboldtBlue
I can’t believe you pedants didn’t throw some ice hockey skates at me for that one.
Oh, the next time someone looks at you cross-eyed for referring to the game of “soccer”, particularly if they are a Brit, remind them that the term “soccer” goes back to the very origins of the game in Britain. they invented the game and the word and up until about 40 years ago “soccer” and “football” were interchangeable in Britain and the U.S.
valdivia
@Bill Murray:
I don’t get your point? was maradona *ever* punished in that game for what he did? No right? The germans never got a chance at a penalty because of it. So that comparison is just not very good. My whole point is that whoever is saying Ghana was robbed is missing the fact that Ghana could have won the game if they had not missed the kick.
Therese
Ok. Saw it.
This is the damnedest game! As a newbie, I’m so frustrated. It’s so exciting, but also seems so arbitrary sometimes. I need a drink.
ThresherK
Actually BOTH Uruguayans on the goal-line extended BOTH their hands for that ball. Hilarious instinct, no? If it bounces off each, is that two PKs?
Martin
@Dr. Squid: I don’t know, but penalties are only effective if the consequences are worse than not taking the penalty. In this case FIFA doesn’t have a consequence worse than taking the penalty, so it’s going to be abused.
Much of the challenge is that the World Cup is a single elimination event, so there’s no opportunity for post-game penalties to have any meaning. As much crap as the NCAA gets for their wildly inconsistent application of the rules, that they’re willing to vacate a championship and impose major future sanctions for rules violations suggests they’re serious about trying to make sure certain behavior doesn’t repeat.
HumboldtBlue
That’s it! The entire Urugyuan team must be shot! No replays, no take-backs not appeals. They must be lined up along that specific goal line and shot down! There is no cheating on soccer! None! Nada! Zilch!
Unless you are Parma, then you can cheat, or Lazio, it’s OK then as well.
Poor Gyan.
Irritable Liberal
Apparently the Uruguayan players carried Suarez back onto the field on their shoulders. That is ugly. I hope Holland destroys them.
HumboldtBlue
Now that I can get behind. Grandma was all Irish, grandpa was Dutch.
Go Nederlander!
That’s a classless move for a team that should be collectively sighing in relief.
Paula
Just think of it as a disallowed goal … except that Gyan was gifted a second opportunity on a silver platter — and missed.
Uruguay will get their pounding in due time. That was some annoying play from them during that last half. Meanwhile, I bet jerseys for the Oranje are selling like hotcakes.
You Don't Say
@HumboldtBlue: Who said that?
Bill Murray
@valdivia: maybe I missed it but I have not seen much of a Ghana was robbed meme except from you. I saw you agreeing with Humboldt Blue that it wasn’t cheating, and my point was that both Suarez and Maradona cheated in more or less exactly the same way. So one was caught that is irrelevant to cheating.
I certainly don’t think Ghana was robbed. I don’t even think th US was robbed by Frings’ hand ball in 2002. But to try and make it seem that Suarez (or Frings) did not cheat is just ridiculous
Bill Murray
@You Don’t Say: well since he’s the one that thinks it wasn’t cheating I guess he did
Slappy
I think Suarez deserves man of the match
the clock was done, the game was over
he kept the ball out of the goal by using his hand, the only means he had to stop the shot, he knew it was a red card and penalty kick that ghana would almost surely win
if he didn’t stop that goal by any means necessary, game over ghana wins
he sacrificed himself and gave his team the chance they needed to win. Ghana should have made that penalty kick.
The end of that soccer game was incredible, the best of the cup so far imho
Dr. Squid
@Irritable Liberal: OK, that was douchey.
I’ve got enough Dutch in me to justify pulling for them now. They got Brazil – they now should be able to take out anyone else. It would be a historic win – first one for the Oranje, first Euro win off the continent, although in a country where an official language is essentially theirs.
Would sure beat having to see Argentina win and see Maradona yuk it up afterwards.
valdivia
@Bill Murray:
This quote from above-thread:
not from me. so i didn’t start this robbed thing, arguing against it. if you don’t think they were then we’re all good. that is all.
SLKRR
@Violet:
Haha… “resigned” the same way McChrystal “resigned.”
valdivia
@Dr. Squid:
I am cheering for Uruguay for sentimental reasons but I am with you on this. For me at this point is anything but Argentina. And I know someone is going to want to take my latin american card away for that but hey. Just the thought of Maradona making himself the Caudillo of Soccer for the next 20 years is enough to make me murderous.
zzyzx
@Martin: the thing is though that this is a rare occurrence. Only when the ball is behind the goalie with little time left in the game is the trade of a red card and a PK for a goal worthwhile. It was here but it’s not going to be something that FIFA will have to worry about too much.
Irritable Liberal
@Dr. Squid: Actually it was the douchiest thing I have seen in 36 years of watching the World Cup. What happens on the field stays on the field. After the game celebrate the win, shake hands, trade jerseys etc, but I have never seen a team flaunt victory like that, deserved or undeserved.
mcd410x
@burnspbesq: This. And didn’t even get the penalty.
That said: What happened today is no way to lose. Or win.
Irritable Liberal
One more item. Paris Hilton was arrested for pot possession at the Holland – Brazil game.
a) you have to be an idiot to get caught with pot in South Africa and
b) didn’t anyone tell her Renaldo team wasn’t playing any longer.
Leeds man
@Dr. Squid:
And how he would yuk it up; The Little Man would rub it in the faces of his critics, because His Greatness would finally be proven for all to see. And of course there will be plenty of Tears Of Redemption. Or some such shit. Annoying twerp.
It would be nice to think that losing against Germany would teach him a little humility, but it ain’t in his make-up.
Bill Murray
@valdivia: No problem. I clearly missed that comment. and it does seem there is some clamor about Ghana being robbed. Sometimes the rules just don’t provide a proper response. I doubt there is a player in the tournament that wouldn’t have done what Suarez did. There was essentially no downside for Suarez. Missing the semifinal and likely the final or 3rd place game, and being labeled a cheater by people like me, is a small price to play. Assuming he doesn’t get Escobared.
Irritable Liberal
In rugby union they have a penalty try (try=touchdown) but in rugby union you have to actually touch the ball down on the ground on or beyond the line.
If an offense prevents that the ref has the option of awarding a try, not a penalty (rough equivalent of a field goal) which is worth less points.
The one situation where an infraction prevents a 100% certainty of a goal is a deliberate handball on the line. The rules benefit the cheater so the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. Institute a ‘penalty goal’ and it will eliminate the advantage gained by cheating.
The Main Gauche of Mild Reason
@Lynch:
No, it’s like a player being in the process of dunking, and then getting knocked down with a cheap shot by the defender and having to take free-throws. AKA, the hack-a-shaq. Can’t see any difference between that and this.
If anything, the penalty kicks are as much guaranteed goals as this one was. It’s not Uruguay’s fault that they missed, and if they hadn’t, the resolution would have seemed completely fair.
Corner Stone
I was all set to get into this whole “football” thing. And then ESPN played a Nickelback song during the highlight montage.
{pulls door in after himself}
Bill Murray
@Corner Stone: That could harsh anybodies buzz
Corner Stone
@Bill Murray: I have every intention of getting hammered beyond all reasonableness tonight.
But tomorrow I will be rooting for The Texas of South America against Germany. So expect ugliness to ensue.
Damn you Der Blindschtiller!!
ed_finnerty
In the NHL the referee has the option of awarding a goal if the act prevented a sure goal. This would be a good rule for FIFA
Pixie
HumboldtBlue, sorry but I’m not buying that instinct bullsh*t. He made a calculated illegal move because he KNEW it would be the only way to keep his team in the game. He had to cheat to win. Say what you want about Ghana missing the kicks, they would NOT have missed THAT goal if Uruguay had not spontaneously generated 2-3 extra goal keepers at that point in time. That’s just a fact.
fbihop
I’m just gonna say what I’ve been saying all day — any soccer player who DOESN’T make that play that Suarez did lets his team down. He broke the rules, was punished as the rules allow and his team ended up winning.
I can see how people think that it is unethical or whatever — but he broke the rules and paid the consequences. I would have done the same thing as Suarez.
jomo
What I find interesting is that the discussion when the handball occurred here was frankly muted while after the game’s outcome was clear there was indignation and howling. It is one of those outcomes that only become clear in the aftermath of everything – yet the call had to be made on the field at that time. I hate the result, it is unfair and unsatisfactory. I think it was the right call. History will record this as a win by cheating.