Can Luis Suarez redeem himself at Copa America Centenario?
The last time we saw Luis Suarez competing on a major international stage, the Uruguayan forward was embroiled in a biting (literally) controversy at the 2014 World Cup.
On the world's biggest stage, Suarez bit down on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder during their group stage contest in Brazil. The response -- on the pitch, on the broadcast, on social media, -- was immediate, and rightfully so. This was, of course, not Suarez's first dalliance with borderline cannibalism. He'd had two prior biting incidents, one with Ajax in 2010 and another with Liverpool in 2013.
Luis Suarez and Giorgio Chiellini react after the biting incident in 2014
FIFA had seen enough, and two days later the disciplinary committee handed him a nine-match international ban, barred him from taking part in any football-related activity for four months and fined the forward. Attempts from Uruguay (and even Chiellini) to reduce the punishment were largely unsuccessful. Banned from Copa America 2015, Suarez's lasting image as an international is the Uruguayan clutching his teeth on the pitch after the chomp.
Copa America Centenario gives him a chance to change the narrative. He's already repaired his image to some degree, remaining controversy-free during his time with Barcelona. The Catalan side signed Suarez from Liverpool in that ignominious summer; aware they'd be without his services for an extended period. The Court of Arbitration for Sport relented on the ban of football-related activity for Suarez, and the forward was allowed to train and play friendly matches.
.@luis16suarez It's all forgotten. I hope FIFA will reduce your suspension.
— Giorgio Chiellini (@chiellini) June 30, 2014
A vow from Suarez to never again have a biting incident -- alongside a no-biting clause in his Barcelona contract -- and it seemed he was on the right track. And sandwiched between Lionel Messi and Neymar, Suarez forms the tip of the voracious attacking front dubbed "MSN."
He's done nothing but score goals (53 in 48 matches played across all competitions in 15/16) and remain largely out of the doghouse. In fact, he's made a case to potentially break up the Messi/Ronaldo stranglehold on the Ballon d'Or, but again, it's all been done in a Barcelona uniform.
Now, he'll have to convince us that he's exorcised his demons at the international level. He's performed admirably -- and behaved himself -- in two World Cup qualifying stints, tallying a goal, an assist and one yellow card, but those matches don't have the luster of the Copa America.
On top of attempting to remedy his image, Suarez is dealing with a balky hamstring. The injury, which he picked up in Barcelona's Copa del Rey victory on May 22, leaves his status in doubt, although he will join Uruguay for the second phase of treatment. Assuming the hamstring won't prevent him from seeing time on the pitch, Copa America could prove to be the platform where Suarez shakes the shadow of 2014's shame.
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