World Cup Quarter Finals 2010, Ghana 1-1 Uruguay, Uruguay win 4-3 on Penalties.
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I was called a heartless prick amongst many other things, but when Uruguay dumped Ghana out of the world cup in South Africa 2 years ago, I was absolutely buzzing.
One major reason for my happiness was that I’d backed Uruguay to reach the semi finals at 17/1. I put 50 quid on them and I stood to win 750 pounds if they pulled it off. Needless to say, I wanted them to win.
But that wasn’t the only reason I was in joy when they won. Just as important was the fact that I was going crazy at how much the entire world media was pushing for Ghana to win. As if an African team making it to the semi final in South Africa would be the answer to all the world’s prayers or erase the colonialism and destruction developed countries have inflicted on them for centuries.
The commentators throughout were rooting for Ghana. It was excruciatingly blatant. Plucky Ghana. Brave Ghana. Glorious Africa. They mentioned several times how much the entire world was behind Ghana.
Fuck that. Uruguay is a country of 4 million people surrounded by footballing giants Brazil and Argentina. For decades they’ve had to endure the taunts of their neighbors and the indifference of the footballing world.
The entire world was against Uruguay. They were playing in an African city, with Ghana basically as the home team. They went behind. They conceded a last minute of extra time penalty. Yet they still won, sticking 2 fingers up to the rest of the world.
Not only did they win, but they owed heavy thanks to their number 9 Luis Suarez who first blocked a shot off the line with his legs than saved a header with his hands. This was the moment Luis Suarez became public enemy number 1 in world football (on a side note, check out the video. I’d never noticed that Fucile, the defender in front of Suarez, tries to save with his hands as well but he misses it).
As far as I was concerned, any fan, player or coach who pretends he wouldn’t have done the same thing was a lying, two faced bastard. Simple as.
But it was in Africa they screamed!! Against Ghana!!
So fucking what? What was Suarez supposed to do? Think to himself “You know what: I can save my team and my country here but fuck it, waka waka, this time for Africa. I’ll let it go in”??
Seriously?
He wasn’t a Red then but I had no issue with it. In fact I admired his balls and his acting as he looked shocked when the ref sent him off and laughed my arse off at his celebrations.
And thanks to him, in a world cup which saw both Brazil and Argentina knocked out in the quarter finals, Uruguay, the tiny nation of warriors of South America, were through to their first semi final since 1950. In a way which made the whole self righteous world rage at the unfairness of it all.
And I loved them for it.
All 750 pounds richer of me.
I agree.....
Posted by: Nadim Nassif | 03/02/2012 at 08:59 PM