The match led to tears. For each Uruguay and Ghana. Tears flowed like a torrent within the stands, on the sector, on the sands of Al Janab. As the sport ended, Uruguay having gained 2–0 however Portugal having been knocked out of the knockouts by South Korea, Luis Suárez started crying inconsolably within the dugout. As the cameras inexplicably zoomed in on his face, he pulled his tear-soaked shirt over her. He glanced over, a few of his teammates wading into the referee and his entourage of assistants, for a nook that might have been a penalty. But they have been simply getting distracted by the person who was at all times going to be the hero of the match, Suarez.
Just half-hour earlier than the sport ended, Suárez was an album of bliss, chatting along with his teammates within the dugout, taking part in with the assist workers, glad after 64 minutes of taking part in his finest soccer of this World Cup. The Ghana sport was maybe the change that introduced out the very best of Suarez. Slow and sloppy, invisible and inactive till this sport, he rediscovered his classic, in all probability the 2010 classic. He was a remodeled man, slipping into tackles, chasing the ball wildly, operating previous defenders and shoveling pictures. There was a stunning nutmeg close to the byline. Marker Iñaki Williams was just some yards away, however he embarrassed him with essentially the most nutmeg of the lot.
Despite the victory, Uruguay have been knocked out of the World Cup together with Ghana. @adidasfootball , #FIFA World Cup
– FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 2, 2022
But earlier than you get to Suarez, you should cease for Andrew Ayew. When he stood up for the penalty, he had the whole weight of Ghanaian soccer historical past on his left foot. He jumped, stopped and swiped on the ball. The ball clipped the sting of his boot and rolled gently into the protected palms of Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rocher. Ayyu stood by the thunderclap.
He bowed his head in disgrace and slowly fell to the bottom. Ghana’s first shot at redemption led to tears. And Ayew of all folks, one of many few remaining members of 2010’s ‘Hand of Devil’, has been watching all of the drama unfold from the dugout as an unused substitute. He, like Asamoah Gyan, his idol, who missed the spot kick off Suarez’s handball, would remorse the slip-up for the remainder of his life.
Andre Ayew reacts after his penalty is saved by Sergio Roche of Uruguay. (Reuters/Bernadette Szabo)
Ghana froze – In the silence between the Ghanaian followers, you could possibly hear the murmur of a thousand hearts. Vocal supporters stood immobile, dancing and singing till that second, in a riot of color. The gamers withered, wandered aimlessly. Till this second, Suraj was tenting in his head. But from this second he needed to torment them even on the sector. Of all of the merciless scripts, this was what the Ghanians feared essentially the most. To be intimidated by Suarez. Forever scarred by Suarez. For generations, or perhaps for eternity.
Post spilled penalty, they settle. Seizing the second for Ghanaian Days, bleach-haired Georgian de Arrasketa scored twice within the area of six minutes. Both targets stemmed from extraordinarily clumsy defending (was it even defending?). The ball from the deep, curled between two defenders, every assuming the opposite would clear the ball. Suarez headed up the left, turned sharply and unleashed a stinging shot on aim.
The saving grace was that Suárez did not rating, as a substitute having it stopped by goalkeeper Lawrence At-Zigy. But Arrasqueta pounced on the rebound and put the ball into the online with a flick of his head. Six minutes later, Suárez-Arrascata mixed once more. Suárez floated the ball out to Arrasqueta, an outstanding lob. The latter volleyed house. It aimed for pure technical perfection from Suarez’s lobe, candy and opulent, designed in an artist’s palette. The execution helped. As the ball fell, Arrasqueta’s physique fell as nicely, and simply earlier than kissing the bottom, he twisted his physique and hit the fluff. The ball flew away earlier than altering its course and whistled previous AT-Ziggy, unable to anticipate the ball’s path.
To add to his ache and struggling, Suarez would rejoice wildly subsequent to the touchline. After the second aim, he turned to the group of Ghanaian followers and clapped, gave a thumbs up and pointed loudly to boo him.
On the stroke of the sixty fourth minute, Suárez was taken off from the Uruguayan fence to thunderous applause and silence from the Ghanaian aspect. But even in his absence, Suárez was nonetheless hovering the pitch, because the Ghanaian gamers regarded for him all over the place. It was as in the event that they have been operating round a maze with no exit.
Initially the temper was reverse. Greeted Luis Suarez by falling to the bottom. Ever the pantomime villain he was, he bared his tooth and smiled. When the abuse reached its peak, he fired a volley of kisses, fanning the fad and bringing again extra recollections of the heartbreaking evening in Johannesburg. The Ghanaians have by no means forgiven Suárez for what he claimed was the “New Hand of God” or as a Ghanaian journalist put it the opposite day, the “Hand of the Devil”.
Even although he has forgiven her, Suarez made positive to erase the outdated, bitter recollections. He began the match, wore the captain’s armband and took first contact of the ball. He might have pale within the autumn of his profession, however his brash, pantomime stays intact.
At final, the prayers of Ghaniyan have been accepted. He noticed Suarez cry, however not the way in which he had prayed or wished. They have been crying too. Had Ghana gained or drawn, they’d have progressed to the final 16. But maybe, in a similarity to his destiny, Ghana might have discovered peace with Suárez and Uruguay. Or forgive him ultimately.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
