Uruguay Godin’s header sends Italy home; Suarez bites again
Thursday, 26 June 2014 00:00
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NATAL Brasil (Reuters): Another biting storm involving Uruguay striker Luis Suarez overshadowed a dramatic 1-0 World Cup victory over Italy on Friday which sent the South Americans through to the last 16 and the four-times champions home.
The Italians were still complaining about Suarez’s apparent bite on defender Giorgio Chiellini when Diego Godin scored the winner nine minutes from time to give Uruguay the victory they needed to progress from Group D.
The incident only exacerbated the Azzurri’s sense of grievance at their exit before the knockout stages for the second successive tournament after Claudio Marchisio’s dismissal had forced them to play with 10 men for half an hour.
“The expulsion of Marchisio was ridiculous but even more ridiculous was the non-expulsion of Suarez,” Chiellini said.
“Clearly there is a desire to protect the top players but this doesn’t help football.
“It is clear, clear-cut and then there was the dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done.”
The controversial incident occurred 10 minutes from time when Suarez clashed with the defender in the Italian penalty area and a furious Chiellini pulled open his shirt to show his shoulder to the referee.
Suarez was banned for 10 games last year after biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League game and in 2010 he was suspended for seven games for biting an opponent while playing for Ajax Amsterdam.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, who offered his resignation after the match, had made his intentions clear by starting with a 3-5-2 formation and for most of the first hour the Azzurri succeeded in shackling the Uruguayans.
It was a brilliant if often brutal display of the art of defending from the Italians, who, when they lost possession, swarmed around the Uruguay players and fouled them with monotonous regularity.
Uruguay’s Luis Suarez (right) reacts after clashing with Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini – REUTERS
