Suarez Hates To Lose

Midway through the World Cup news regarding Luis Suarez joining Barcelona started to emerge. Fans were furious at the fact that we are signing someone with such a terrible character. Let’s just say Luis Suarez is not a person you want to look up to. From Suarez being involved in acts of racism, to actually biting his opponents, the fans had every right to be furious. Not only did the club sign a player of terrible reputation, they also signed a player who was banned for four months.

 However, according to Luis himself, his arrival at Barcelona signaled a new beginning. This new beginning meant that all his horrendous acts will be put aside. Luis Suarez considers that he now has a chance at a better life. He believes that his dream came true the moment he put on the Barça shirt.

You could write a movie script about Luis Suarez’s complicated character. The romantic story regarding his girlfriend and how he played football to get her back tells you one side of the story. The other side of the story tells you that he is a psychotic freak of nature.

When asked why he was involved in such hideous actions, Luis Suarez replied: I hate to lose. I don’t know how to lose.

This is a terrible reply. It doesn’t justify his actions. Then again, nothing justifies his actions.

However, this reply brings me to the part I’m interested in and it was never his character. Actually, I was never interested in players’ characters to begin with. This brings me to Luis Suarez, the football player.

Luis Suarez’s ban ended on October 25th 2014. He was directly involved in El Clasico. This match witnessed Barcelona losing 3-1. Unlike most players on their debut, Luis Suarez had a huge impact on the first half. His pass to Neymar led to the first goal. Another beautiful pass to Lionel Messi could’ve made Barcelona have some sort of advantage against a very lethal opponent.

And this is what Luis Suarez is all about.

 I remember watching him play for Liverpool hoping I’d see him in our colors. Not many players in the world can make an entire team look good. The last time I checked only Lionel Messi could do that. This, of course, does not disregard what Brendan Rodgers did or what other players were capable of but it was obvious that Liverpool had a player who was on a higher level than the others.

Regardless of the fact that I hate evaluating players based on stats but the qualities & quantities shown above do not portray a normal player. Suarez is no normal player. We notice so much dominance and completeness in only a very few number of players in the world.

 Luis Suarez is not your usual striker. His selfishness is a myth. He is a playmaker with the ability to score beautiful goals. He’ll lose the ball and fight with every inch of power God has given him to get it back. He is of killer instincts. His intelligence on the field is indescribable. He is always one step ahead of the defender and has the ability to predict the defender’s next move. His technique while receiving the ball to set himself up for a pass or a shot is sensational.

A lot could be said about his talent but more could be said about how passionate he is.

Whether with Liverpool or now with Barcelona, one thing hasn’t changed. He’ll absolutely play his heart out in every single match he is involved in. When he scored a simple tap-in against PSG he was ecstatic. For a second there, he did not care how he scored or against who. All he cared about was the fact that he finally scored in the Camp Nou & in the competition he always wanted to win (his second goal in this competition).

 Luis Suarez’s character might not be the fans’ favorite however a part of his character brings back something the fans really needed to see: passion and working your butt off. Enough with poetry, though. The fans want hard facts and results. Can you blame them? Barcelona spent around 80 million for a striker whose stats read: 2 goals, 6 assists. However this does not look so bad when comparing it to others(again, excuse the stat):

Playing alongside Lionel Messi is the toughest yet most beautiful thing in the world for a top player. It is beautiful because the player finally finds someone who is on a similar mental level. It is tough because the player is no longer the main man and you can feel it. From Suarez’s hesitation in front of goal to his constant need to pass one touch passes he isn’t sure of. Suarez is always in a rush and seems rather shaky on his first touch.

With that said, there is no need to worry about Luis Suarez. Intelligent players like him always find a way. He took Liverpool to the top and his impact on that team was no coincidence or fluke.

 Scrolling through my timeline, reading news, and opening articles I noticed a certain tone among the majority. Some have already declared him a failure. Many simply disregard that Suarez has been an active Barcelona player for only a month and a half. And in this month and a half he produced moments of absolute brilliance that should remind the fans of what he is actually capable of. When

Suarez first arrived here he said: “I am here to win trophies”. I am pretty confident that he’ll be a crucial and decisive factor in winning any trophy in the upcoming months. After all, Suarez hates to lose.