Luis Suarez scores a controversial goal, injures goal-keeper
Barcelona are flying high in La Liga this term. They are dismantling opponents one after the other with surgical precision. They are leading the league table five points above second-placed Atletico Madrid. However, in their last match against Leganes, a goal by Luis Suarez stirred a new controversy. The Uruguayan has been accused of physically harming the goalie while scoring. Read more about it.
The score was 1-1 after goals from Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite, and Suarez scored in the 71st minute to put Barcelona ahead. The goal came when Messi took a shot which rebounded off the keeper and Suarez managed to put the ball into the net. While doing so, his knee slammed against the Leganes goalkeeper Cuellar.
When the referee allowed the goal to stand, the Leganes players protested vociferously against the decision, and the incident was then referred to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). However, the decision still stood, and Barcelona went ahead 2-1. In the stoppage time, a brilliant link-up play saw Leo Messi increase the lead, scoring from an assist by Jordi Alba.
While what Suarez did was unintentional, the Leganes goalkeeper did something unforgivable during the match. During a goal kick, he deliberately pushed Suarez while running with the ball. If the referee had seen this, it could have been a straight red.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde was asked in the post-match press conference about the validity of the goal, to which he replied that the goal was surely legitimate, but said that VAR only added to the controversy. Notably, the contact was not intentional, as Suarez's leg touched the ball before he hit the goalie, thus making the goal valid.
The action of the Leganes goalkeeper reminds about an unfortunate incident involving David Beckham in the 1998 World Cup. Beckham infamously kicked now Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone after the latter pushed him. This resulted in Beckham being given marching orders and England crashing out of the World Cup. Widespread protests and burning effigies of Beckham ensued after this incident, in England.
