Is this the most Luis Suarez thing ever? Uruguay striker bizarrely appeals for handball during Copa America win over Chile despite shot being saved by the goalkeeper… as he also asks for Gonzalo Jara to be sent off for tripping up a pitch invader!
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez took his reputation as a fierce competitor to new heights in his side’s 1-0 win over Chile in the Copa America on Monday night.
First he appealed for a handball… by Chile’s goalkeeper before later asking for their defender Gonzalo Jara to be sent off after he tripped up a pitch invader.
The 32-year-old’s career has been shrouded with controversial moments and these were the latest ones in another high-profile match.
Luis Suarez (top) appealed for handball following this save from Chile goalkeeper Gabriel Arias
With his side searching for a goal against the Copa America holders to earn them top spot in the group, Suarez raced into the box and rounded Chile’s Gabriel Arias but the keeper rose again to punch the striker’s shot away for a corner.
Suarez, however, seemed to momentarily forget that Arias’ job is to stop shots with his hands and appealed for a penalty, gesticulating to the referee by pointing to his own hand.
The striker soon realised his mistake and stopped protesting, putting his hands on his head to console himself for the missed opportunity.
It was five years to the day when Suarez infamously bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in a group stage decider at the 2014 World Cup, which saw him banned for four months.
Later in the game the striker made another frantic appeal to the referee to ask for Chile’s Gonzalo Jara to be sent off after the defender tripped up a pitch invader.
Suarez’s strike partner Edinson Cavani later grabbed the only goal of the game which saw 15-times Copa America champions Uruguay finish top of Group C ahead of Chile to set up a quarter-final tie with Peru.