Barcelona superstar Luis Suarez has opened up on things that were going through his head in the moments during and after his infamous handball for Uruguay in the quarterfinals of 2010 World Cup against Ghana.
The 30-year-old blocked Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header in the dying minutes of extra-time when the game was still 1-1.
Although, Ghana were awarded a penalty and Suarez subsequently sent off, Asamoah Gyan fluffed that chance after the resulting kick was denied by the crossbar.
“The truth is, it was a bit of everything,” Suarez recalled as he sat down with Barça team-mate Gerard Pique for a lengthy chat for publication by The Players’ Tribune.
“Of being depressed, of being sad, of being sent off. Because we were going to lose, but if they weren’t scoring that goal we weren’t going to lose [so I was right to block it].
“You get up within 30 seconds when he takes the penalty kick, the satisfaction of taking a risk in a situation of which I have been blamed for anti-fair play. However, the Ghana player missing the penalty is not my fault.”
He added: “I didn’t kick anyone or anything like that, that’s why I think that I celebrated like that, for having taken a risk for something that was worth it.
And I remember that I celebrated it more than a goal. I left screaming and went to the locker room to watch the penalty kicks (in the shootout). And, the truth is, it was painful watching the penalty kicks in the locker room.”
Suarez also believes that their defeat to Netherlands in the semifinals would’ve been different if Uruguay had the full complement of their squad. Jorge Fucile was banned for multiple yellow cards, while captain Diego Lugano was also out injured.
“It’s easy to talk now, but yeah, if we would have played the semi-final against Holland with Diego Lugano, who in that moment was spectacular, Jorge Fucile, I believe, the best left wing-back of the World Cup, and me, who had been suspended,” he explained.
“If the three of us would have played, it would have been different.”
