Uruguay knocked mighty Italy out of the World Cup on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory that had real teeth to it — those fangs belonging once again to Luis Suarez. Suarez is infamous for channeling Mike Tyson and irrationally biting opponents in emotional moments. He clearly clamped his mouth down on Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder, from the back, in the 79th minute of the match. While Chiellini attempted to show the bite mark to the referee, Suarez fell to the ground and held his teeth, as if he were in great pain. “These things happen in the box,” Suarez reportedly told Uruguayan media. “We were in contact, chest against shoulder, and I got a knock to the eye.” “Suarez is a sneak and he gets away with it because FIFA want their stars to play in the World Cup,”
Chiellini told Sky Sport Italia. FIFA said early Wednesday that its disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against the Uruguay forward after charging him with biting. If the panel finds Suarez guilty of assaulting an opponent, FIFA rules call for a ban of at least two matches up to a maximum of 24 months. FIFA asked the team to present evidence by 5 p.m. Wednesday. A decision must be published before Saturday, when Uruguay plays Colombia in a round-of-16 match. Any action would depend on FIFA judging the case using video evidence — something FIFA president Sepp Blatter supports. Video reviews are used sparingly at the World Cup, and FIFA said it would first review match referee Marco Rodriguez’s report before evaluating it. Just two minutes after the bite, Uruguay defender Diego Godin deflected a corner kick into the goal with his own shoulder, for the winner.
