Today in sports history: Suarez handball denies Ghana World Cup semi-final berth

On this day 2 July 2010 (Exactly 10 years ago today) Uruguay reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1970, but ended the hopes of Africa after winning a truly extraordinary match at Soccer City on a penalty shoot-out.

Ghana seemed certain to become the first African side to reach the last four of the competition when Luis Suarez saw red after handling on the line in the dying seconds of extra-time.

However, striker Asamoah Gyan, who had already converted two penalties in South Africa, skimmed the crossbar with the last kick of the game.

Gyan showed incredible guts to take the first spot-kick of the shoot-out but John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah both had their low strikes saved by Fernando

And Sebsatian Abreu then showed ice-cold composure to dink the decisive penalty beyond Richard Kingson as Uruguay sealed a semi-final tie against the Netherlands.

It was the first time that the teams had ever played each other in a senior competitive football match. After a dramatic 120 minutes of play (including extra time) that finished 1–1, Uruguay won in a penalty shoot-out 4–2. Uruguay dominated the early periods of the match, but suffered an injury to captain Diego Lugano in the first half. Just before half-time, Ghana took the lead when Sulley Muntari was allowed time on the ball by Uruguay, and took advantage by scoring with a shot from 40 yards. After half-time, Diego Forlán pulled Uruguay level with a free kick from the left side of the field that went over the head of Ghana’s goalkeeper Richard Kingson.

While both teams had chances to win, the match proceeded to extra time as the scores remained level. Late in extra time, Ghana sent a free kick into the box; Luis Suárez blocked Stephen Appiah’s shot on the goal line. On the rebound, Dominic Adiyiah’s header was heading into the goal, but Suárez blatantly blocked the shot with his hands to save what would have been the extra-time winner and he was red carded. Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty kick off the crossbar and Suárez celebrated the miss.

In the shootout, Gyan converted his penalty, as did everybody else until the 4th round of penalty kicks when Adiyiah’s penalty was saved by Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Uruguay’s Maxi Pereira then hit his penalty kick over the bar. Muslera saved Captain John Mensah’s, and Ghana’s fifth, penalty. Sebastián Abreu converted Uruguay’s fifth spot kick by lightly chipping it Panenka-style to win the match.

After the game, Suárez said, “I made the save of the tournament,” and, referring to the infamous handball goal scored by Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup, claimed that “The ‘Hand of God’ now belongs to me.” Suárez claimed he had no alternative and was acting out of instinct. Forlán agreed that Suárez saved the game, “Suárez this time, instead of scoring goals, he saved one, I think he saved the game.

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac said the play was an “injustice” and Suárez was labeled a “villain” and a “cheat”.

But Uruguay coach, Óscar Tabárez, said these labels were too harsh, “Well, there was a handball in the penalty area, there was a red card and Suárez was thrown out. Saying that Ghana were cheated out of the game is too harsh. We have to go by the rules. It might have been a mistake by my player but I do not like that word ‘cheating’.”

Ghana was the last African team left in the tournament and if they had won, they would have been the first team from Africa to ever make the semifinals.

Thus, Suárez was said to have “enraged an entire continent [Africa].” But others viewed him as a hero who sacrificed himself in the semifinal for the unlikely chance that his team could win. A distraught Gyan conceded, “I would say Suárez is a hero now in his own country, because the ball was going in and he held it with his hand. He is a hero now”.

Match Summary

Venue : Johannesburg, Soccer City Stadium

Score :1-1 after extra-time

Goals Scored

Sulley Muntari (45+2)

Diego Forlan (55free-kick)

Penalty Shootout

Goal 1-0 Diego Forlan (URU)

Goal 1-1 Asamoah Gyan (GHA)

Goal 2-1 Mauricio Victorino (URU)

Goal 2-2 Stephen Appiah (GHA)

Goal 3-2 Andres Scotti (URU)

Miss 3-2 John Mensah (GHA)

Miss 3-2 Maximiliano Pereira (URU)

Miss 3-2 Dominic Adiyiah (GHA)

Goal 4-2 Sebastian Abreu (URU)

Ghana: Richard Kingson, John Painstil, Hans Adu Sarpei, John Mensah, Isaac Vorsah, Anthony Annan, Kevin Prince Boateng, Sulley Muntari/Domin Adiyiah, Kwadwo Asamoah, Asamoah Gyan, Samuel Inkoom/Stephen Appiah

Uruguay: Fernando Muslero, Diego Lugano, Jorge Fucile, Mauricio Victorino, Edinson Cavani/Sebastiene Abreu, Louis Suarez, Diego Forlan, Diego Perez, Maximilano Pereira,Egidio Arevalo, Alvaro Fernandez

Referee: Olegario Benquerenca. (Portugal)

Yellow Cards

20? Jorge Fucile (URU)

48? Egidio Arevalo (URU)

54? John Pantsil (GHA)

59? Diego Perez (URU)

77? Hans Sarpei (GHA)

93? John Mensah (GHA)

Red Cards

+121' Luis Suarez (URU)

Attendance 84,017

Elsewhere;

On this day 2 July 2000 (Exactly 20 years ago today) David Trezeguet scored in extra – time as France beat Italy 2-1 to win their second European Cup.

David Trezeguet’s golden goal won the Euro 2000 final for France and put Roger Lemerre’s side in football’s history books.

Substitute Trezeguet’s goal in the 103rd minute saw the French become the first team to add the European Championship to the World Cup.

It was total heartbreak for Italy, who were leading deep into injury time in Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium until France justified their billing as the best team in the competition with a stunning late comeback.

Trezeguet made it the second European championship in succession to finish with a golden goal – and provided a fitting finale to a compelling tournament.

Italy looked to have secured victory when Alessandro Delvecchio put them ahead early in the second half.

But as the massed ranks of Italian defenders formed in front of goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, substitute Sylvain Wiltord rescued France with an equaliser four minutes into injury time.

Italy coach Dino Zoff, seeking to mastermind Italy’s first win over France since the 1978 World Cup, sprang surprises both in selection and tactics.

He dropped the mercurial Alessandro Del Piero along with Filippo Inzaghi, in favour of Roma attacking pair Delvecchio and Francesco Totti.

And Italy shocked the French by casting off the cloak of defence that marked their semi-final victory against Holland to open in attacking fashion.

Italy forced two early corners and Totti should have scored after only three minutes, heading wastefully wide from Stefano Fiore’s corner.

Acute angle

Zinedine Zidane was skillfully shadowed by Demetrio Albertini, and it was Arsenal’s Thierry Henry who posed the main questions of the Italian defence.

Henry struck the foot of Toldo’s left hand post in the fifth minute from an acute angle.

And his pace forced Luigi Di Biaggio and Fabio Cannavaro into challenges that earned yellow cards from Swedish referee Anders Frisk.

Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly was fortunate to escape a red card when he elbowed Cannavaro on the blind side of referee Frisk at a free kick on the stroke of half time.

France were restricted to half chances as they found themselves victims of more resolute Italian defending in a first half of frustration for the world champions.

Henry was always the main source of French danger, and he almost created a goal for Zidane four minutes after half time.

He left a trail of Italian defenders in his wake before flashing a centre across the face of goal, which Zidane touched but could not turn in.

It was enough to force Zoff into a change, replacing Fiore with Del Piero in the 52nd minute.

Instant rewards

And it reaped instant rewards as Italy took the lead three minutes later with a brilliantly fashioned goal from Delvecchio.

Totti’s backheel released Pessotto on the right flank, and his cross was met with a left footed finish from Delvecchio from six yards, shooting high past Barthez.

Del Piero squandered a glorious chance to give Italy a two-goal cushion three minutes later when he was put clear by Totti, but pulled his finish hopelessly wide.

France immediately made a substitution of their own, with the struggling Dugarry withdrawn in place of Wiltord, and he was on target almost instantly, but saw a close range shot blocked by Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo.

Henry was still France’s best hope, and Toldo came to the rescue again when plunged bravely at his feet after 68 minutes.

But Del Piero was the villain once again five minutes from time, shooting straight at Barthez when it seemed easier to score.

And he paid a heavy price in the fourth minute of injury time, when Wiltord flashed a finish across Toldo to spark scenes of wild celebration on the French bench.

It took the game into the sudden death golden goal scenario, and Toldo made a brilliant save from French substitute Robert Pires four minutes into extra time, sustaining a bloody nose in the process.

Acute angle

Zinedine Zidane was skillfully shadowed by Demetrio Albertini, and it was Arsenal’s Thierry Henry who posed the main questions of the Italian defence.

Henry struck the foot of Toldo’s left hand post in the fifth minute from an acute angle.

And his pace forced Luigi Di Biaggio and Fabio Cannavaro into challenges that earned yellow cards from Swedish referee Anders Frisk.

Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly was fortunate to escape a red card when he elbowed Cannavaro on the blind side of referee Frisk at a free kick on the stroke of half time.

Zidane attempts to outwit Totti

Zidane outwitsTotti

France were restricted to half chances as they found themselves victims of more resolute Italian defending in a first half of frustration for the world champions.

Henry was always the main source of French danger, and he almost created a goal for Zidane four minutes after half time.

He left a trail of Italian defenders in his wake before flashing a centre across the face of goal, which Zidane touched but could not turn in.

It was enough to force Zoff into a change, replacing Fiore with Del Piero in the 52nd minute.

Instant rewards

And it reaped instant rewards as Italy took the lead three minutes later with a brilliantly fashioned goal from Delvecchio.

Totti’s backheel released Pessotto on the right flank, and his cross was met with a left footed finish from Delvecchio from six yards, shooting high past Barthez.

Del Piero squandered a glorious chance to give Italy a two-goal cushion three minutes later when he was put clear by Totti, but pulled his finish hopelessly wide.

France immediately made a substitution of their own, with the struggling Dugarry withdrawn in place of Wiltord, and he was on target almost instantly, but saw a close range shot blocked by Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo.

Henry was still France’s best hope, and Toldo came to the rescue again when plunged bravely at his feet after 68 minutes.

But Del Piero was the villain once again five minutes from time, shooting straight at Barthez when it seemed easier to score.

And he paid a heavy price in the fourth minute of injury time, when Wiltord flashed a finish across Toldo to spark scenes of wild celebration on the French bench.

It took the game into the sudden death golden goal scenario, and Toldo made a brilliant save from French substitute Robert Pires four minutes into extra time, sustaining a bloody nose in the process.

But France completed the comeback when Pires found Trezeguet, who rifled a brilliant left foot finish high past Toldo.

France: Barthez, Thuram, Blanc, Desailly, Lizarazu (substitute Pires 85), Djorkaeff substitute Trezeguet 75), Vieira, Deschamps, Zidane, Dugarry (substitute Wiltord 57), Henry.

Italy: Toldo, Cannavaro, Nesta, Iuliano, Maldini, Pessotto, Di Biagio (substitute Ambrosini 65), Albertini, Fiore (substitute Del Piero 52), Delvecchio (substitute Montella 85), Totti.

Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden.)

On this day 2 July 1921 (Exactly 99 years ago today) In boxing’s first million dollar gate ($1.7m), world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey knocked out Frenchman Georges Carpentier in round 4 of his 3rd title defence in front of a crowd 91,000 at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey