Uruguay satisfied with ‘Hand of God’ win

JOHANNESBURG: Uruguay may have paid a high price for their contentious victory over Ghana on penalties to set up a World Cup semi-final with the Netherlands.

The two-time world champions reached the last-four for the first time in 40 years after denying the Ghanaians from becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.

“We didn’t play good football against Ghana but we fought very hard,” said Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez. “We’re amongst the four best teams at this World Cup.”

However, debate raged over Suarez’s deliberate handball, which ultimately proved decisive for the Uruguayans, who lost 3-1 to Brazil the last time they reached the World Cup semi-finals in Mexico in 1970.

“I did it so that my teammates could win the penalty shoot-out. When I saw Gyan miss the penalty it was a great joy,” said Suarez.

Man-of-the-match Diego Forlan spoke for his teammates when he said of Suarez’s actions: “It’s a pity [he will miss the semi], he made a good save, we’ll try to do our best. He played his part. He didn’t score a goal but he saved one and now we go to the semi-final.”

But Ghana’s Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac was sanguine about the manner in which his team was dumped from the World Cup and thereby snuffing out the remaining African hope at the tournament.

“All I can say is this is football,” said Rajevac. “I don’t know what I would tell Suarez if I saw him. We had a penalty in the last minute, but it was bad luck, that’s all I can say. We weren’t lucky today. This is sport and justice. Today Uruguay were the lucky ones.”

It was not all doom and gloom in the Ghana camp after their defeat. They may have missed the chance to make African history but several players have put themselves in the shop window and could attract the attentions of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2010.