Luis Suarez reaches 100 caps for Uruguay
The forward Luis Suarez had a date with history today. As he stepped onto the green grass of the Rostov Stadium to face Saudi Arabia, Lucho reached the milestone of 100 appearances for the Uruguayan national team. However, the journey to this moment, which also sees him as the all-time leading goal scorer for Uruguay, has not always been smooth sailing.
His debut came in 2007, in a friendly against Colombia where he wore the number 10 shirt and was fouled by goalkeeper Miguel Calero, resulting in Calero's expulsion and a penalty for the Uruguayan team, converted into a goal by Sebastian Abreu. His first goal, however, had to wait until the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup when the surprise decision by coach Oscar Washington Tabarez to start him ahead of Diego Forlan turned into a goal, four minutes into the first half against Bolivia.
And so, a journey began that now sees Lucho as the all-time leading goal scorer for Uruguay, with 51 goals – closely followed by his strike partner Edinson Cavani with 42. Despite this, the Barcelona player still has unfinished business in World Cups as his record so far has been inconsistent.
His first World Cup was in South Africa 2010, where the Uruguayan team, led by the imposing figures of captain Diego Lugano and the aforementioned Forlan, reached the quarter-finals. Suarez became a beacon in the Uruguayan attack, scoring three goals and providing two assists. The tournament is remembered for the sacrifice of the Salto-born player, who prevented a header from Dominic Adiyiah with his hands in the quarter-finals against Ghana. This action resulted in his expulsion and a penalty in favor of the opposing team when the score was 1-1. Asamoah Gyan was tasked with taking the penalty but his shot struck the crossbar, leading to extra time and penalties, with Uruguay prevailing 4-2. The team coached by Maestro Tabarez eventually finished fourth in the tournament, but Suarez was left bitter for not being able to participate in the semi-finals against the Netherlands.
Four years later, the tournament in Brazil arrived and Suarez – now a renowned and coveted striker – seemed destined to shine. However, fate had other plans and his participation ended in disgrace. A knee injury plagued him and forced him to miss the opening match against Costa Rica (a tough 3-1 defeat). In the second match, Lucho was the focal point of his team and scored a brace against England for a Celeste victory. It appeared that Suarez's presence would be crucial for Uruguay's aspirations and their adventure in Brazil. However, an infamous bite on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini resulted in a harsh punishment: nine-match suspension and a four-month ban from all football-related activities, including entering a stadium.
Despite being sidelined from the pitch, mighty Barcelona set their sights on him and decided to sign him in 2014 to form a partnership with Lionel Messi, and the rest is history. Today, positioned as one of the best center forwards in the world – although still with his old tricks – the match against Saudi Arabia in this World Cup in Russian lands represents the opportunity to advance to the round of 16 for his country. But for Suarez, it means more than that or reaching 100 appearances for his team. For Lucho, it's another match: the one for redemption.