I do understand why Suarez did it, but it's the cultural gap that I don't think I can ever understand. From his side of the sea he did all he could to keep his team in the competition and is a hero. The way I was taught to play the game was to use your hand is cheating and against the rules. You just don't do it.Zer0 wrote:And here we go disagreeing again, Jon. I don't blame Suarez for anything--anyone would have done it to trade a sure goal and loss into a 90% goal and possible life.
Yes, Suarez was penalized according to the rules of the sport but I believe that the rules have not changed as rapidly as the game has changed. Different cultures play the game differently and view the rules in a different way. Some players see the rules as binding. Some see them as obstacles to try and get around (ie: hand of dog).
There has been a lot of talk this WC that goal line technology must be introduced, and now (after Suarez) some people calling for penalty goals to be allowed (a la rugby). When you look at the way some important decisions and matches have played out then you can't really ignore such calls.