Despite the ever-present controversies, Suarez is Uruguay's record goalscorer, scoring 51 times in 99 matches
Luis Suarez during a practice session yesterday. Pic/AFP
For a player who has made so many headlines at the World Cup, it is appropriate that Luiz Suarez will make his 100th appearance for Uruguay at football's biggest tournament. Barring any last minute disasters the Barcelona striker will reach his century of games for the Celeste today when they play Saudi Arabia in Rostov-on-Don in Group A's second round of matches.
The match should be routine and could secure Uruguay's passage to the knockout stage, but with Suarez football fans know that very few things are mundane. The last two World Cups have seen Suarez exit in ignominy. In 2010, the forward was sent off after making a last minute "save" against Ghana, which helped avoid defeat and saw the South Americans progress to the last four. The incident became so infamous it got its own Wikipedia entry — Suarez even described it as the best save of the tournament — but that was nothing to what happened four years later.
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In 2014, he was banned from all football for four months and fined after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini, the third biting incident of his career. Suarez is a player loved and loathed in equal measure; his on-field behaviour has been questionable but not so his talent.
Despite the ever-present controversies, Suarez is Uruguay's record goalscorer, scoring 51 times in 99 matches. Five of those have come in the World Cup and despite a sluggish start in Uruguay's 1-0 opening game win against Egypt, the match against a weak Saudi Arabia side may offer him the chance to celebrate his centenary in style. Saudi Arabia still smarting from their opening day 0-5 drubbing by Russia, could make wholesale changes as they desperately try to stay in the tournament.
51
No. of goals scored by Luiz Suarez in 99 matches for Uruguay
Five
No. of goals scored by Luiz Suarez in nine FIFA World Cup matches
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