Suarez "Lost His Balance" Uruguay And Chile Lost Their Games

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

Luis Suarez wrote his appeal to FIFA for his four-month, nine-match ban. It said in part:

"After the impact ... I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent," Suarez wrote in his submission to the panel which met Wednesday, one day after Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in a decisive group-stage match.

"At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth."

Well okay, then...
FIFA has seven days to hear the appeal from the Uruguayan Football Federation.

Without Suarez, the lack of offense showed in a 2-0 loss where James Rodriguez scored both goals- and, for the record, it's pronounced "Hah-mez..." and he's scored in six straight matches for Colombia...

And James' golazo sent Colombia on their way


And Colombia get Brazil in the next round as they survived their match with Chile- and it took PK's to get there.
The post became Julio Cesar's bet friend in extra time and the shootout...

And American audiences got to hear Ian and Macca call a great one...

FIFA Says Suarez Banned, Uruguay Fed Plans Appeal

((HT: FIFA/ESPN))

Of course, they do...

For the record, here's FIFA's statement:

"The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming [round of 16] FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay.

"The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay's next FIFA World Cup matches, as long as the team qualifies, and/or in the representative team's subsequent official matches.

"The player is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity -- administrative, sports or any other -- for a period of four months. A stadium ban is pronounced against Luis Suarez, who is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban."

It would mean that in addition to his time in Rio, you can possibly adding missing nine Premier League games, Champions League and Capital One Cup matches before the end of October. This, of course, is if Suarez even gets to stay at Liverpool. The first time he bit another player he was booted from his Dutch side.

Uruguay FA President Wilmar Valdez is appealing and he has three days to get his defense together.

ESPN dispatched Wright Thompson to Montevideo for reaction. Max Bretos tracked him down

Just How Hard Should FIFA Come Down On Suarez...??/

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

Luis Suarez says things like what happened today in the Uruguay-Italy match "happen..."

Sure they do...

"These are just things that happen out on the pitch," Suarez said. "It was just the two of us inside the area and he bumped into me with his shoulder, and that's how my eye got like this as well. There are things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them."

The bitten in this case, Chiellini, thinks nothing will happen and he told Sky Sports Italia just as much:

"It's a disgrace. The referee decided this game. If either team should have gone through, then it was us.

"Giving a red card to Marchisio and no red to Suarez decided the game. There was a different treatment for both sides and that decided the game and decided who went through.

"When we had 11 men, they weren't a threat at all and we were in perfect control, but then in the end, [the red card] was decisive.

"But then Suarez gets away with whatever he wants because FIFA want the top players involved. He bit me, and the sign is there. Now [FIFA] have got to have the courage to take action."

The guys at ESPN discuss


Thoughts are coming down on Suarez that include everything from a lifetime ban (not just internationally) to expelling Uruguay from the knockout stage and giving their slot to the next man up in their Group.

What say you, faithful reader...??/

Uruguay's Advancement Overshadowed By Another Biting...???

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

This is Group of Champions and it appears that Luis Suarez is a chump- again...

Costa Rica and Uruguay advance to the knockout stages leaving Italy and England behind. But the larger issue is the apparent taking a chunk out of Chiellini's shoulder by striker Luis Suarez.

80th minute- a minute before Godin's goal against 10-man Forza- Suarez is in the box and jostling..


This is the third incident like this with Suarez. He received a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013.
((HT: BPL))


Luis Suarez apologized at the time:

“I am deeply sorry for my inexcusable behaviour earlier today during our match against Chelsea.

“I have issued an apology and have tried to contact Branislav Ivanović to speak to him personally. I apologise also to my manager, playing colleagues and everyone at Liverpool Football Club for letting them down.”

In November 2010, Suárez, playing for Ajax Amsterdam, was suspended for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal during a Dutch league game.
((HT: Football))


Suárez never played for Ajax again after the first biting incident; the club sold him to Liverpool during that winter’s January transfer window.

And the next question is: Does Suarez get suspended and do Uruguay keep him around for international play after...??/

And what does Liverpool do now...??? Pull the contract on the table...???

Brazil 2014: Is England Next Out...???

((HT: ESPN/FIFA/Sky Sports/Sportsnet))

The answer is prolly...

After Luis Suarez knocked off 5 teammates yesterday in his soccer debut after knee surgery. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says that the squad is "grasping at straws" if they think they'll make it to the knockout stages.

Here's how Suarez did it...


And England skipper Roy Hodgson is not gonna quit- although a lot of folks want his head...


FOSG James Sharman thinks that the big guns for England didn't show up...

And Costa Rica Tells Uruguay To Stick It

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

A lot of firsts, except for Jon Champion calling both of the early shockers in the soccer matches in Brazil...

Costa Rica gets their first win in over a decade in the competition and they put THREE in Uruguay in a decisive 3-1 win. Cavani put home a PK in the 24th minute to give the Uruguayans and their smedium uniforms a 1-0 lead. They carried the lead into the break and then, well, they broke.

The Ticos scored the most goals ever in a game with Campbell, Duarte, and Urena knocking it in the net. Maxi Pereira picked up a red card for a silly challenge on Campbell and it's on in Group D.

There was a question about the Duarte goal and whether or not the play should have been whistled offsides...
But the Urena goal had a great amount of slice spin on it for the dagger


And now Uruguay has to fight uphill for the rest of Group stage

A Double-Save When He Needed It...

((HT: Fox Sports))

There was an Under-20 soccer tournament going on in South America recently (for all the HQ knows, it still could be going on...), and Uruguay was playing Peru...

Just watch what Peruvian goalie Angelo Campos does to keep the score where it is- after an EGREGIOUS error early on...
((HT: Mr Peruvian TV))


Not a bad recovery...