Play in Group D would come to a close on the 13th day of the 2014 FIFA World Cup with what could easily be considered the ugliest match of the tournament.
With Italy needing only a draw to win, they did as most would expect. With a switch in formation to accomodate the Juventus 3 of Bonucci, Chiellini and Marchisio at the back, they set out to control the game and set up shop defensively. In the early portions of the game, the momentum was entirely in their favor. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and PSG’s Edinson Cavani were both held quiet by the Italian defense for most of the match.
The match would get ugly quickly with the villain of the first half coming in the form of AC Milan striker Mario “Why Always Me” Balotelli. He was lucky to only be shown a yellow card when he flew into the air knee first and caught a Uruguayan defender in the back of the head. The rest of the half would consist of the Milan man flopping and faking injury at every chance in hopes of getting an opposing player sent off. His boyish antics were headed for destruction for the Italians as the half-time whistle came with the score still 0-0.
Sensing that Balotelli’s blood was boiling and a sending off was imminent, Italian manager Cesare Prandelli pulled him off at half-time in favor of Parma FC midfielder Marco Parolo.
Italian tempers would remain on a knife’s edge throughout the 2nd half despite Balotelli’s removal and in the 59th minute Marchisio would let his temper get the best of him, and subsequently be sent off, when he would stamp on the leg of a Uruguayan defender after a touch took the ball away from him. It was reckless and late and right in front of the referee and the experience Italian defender can only have himself to blame.
Despite the ugliness of the game in the first 75+ minutes by both teams (mainly the Italians) it would not have been complete without Luis Suarez putting his stamp on the proceedings. Unlike 5 days before in Sao Paulo where his quality as a player helped him to two late goals which undid the efforts of the English and sent them crashing out of the tournament, his actions on this day were to be committed by his alter-go: a malicious vile beast who eats all of those who stand in his way and has no place in football.
In the 79th minute Suarez walked up to Italian defender Chieillini inside the box and in a disguise to muscle for position would proceed to bite him on the left shoulder, sending both men to the ground and Suarez clutching his face like he had just caught an elbow. Seems all too familiar doesn’t it? Suarez would not be shown a card and unjustly the match was not leveled out to 10 v. 10. Perhaps the referee saw it as 50/50 due to Suarez’ attempts to make himself out as the victim, or maybe it was the that Chieillini had been crying wolf the entire night for the Italians as he was looking to get opposing players booked.
Only seconds after the referee had waved off the protests from the Italians the damage would be done to send them crashing out of the group stages for the 2nd World Cup in a row.
A Uruguayan corner would be converted by the highest rising man, Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin whose effort would sail past Buffon and secure the victory that Uruguay needed to advance to the knockout stages.
Surely all eyes will now be FIFA and what they plan to do with Suarez in the wake of his 3rd biting incident on the field. Uruguay most certainly will be moving on without him for the remainder of the tournament.
