In the midst of the 2010 FIFA World Cup round of eight, Uruguayan star Luis Suarez illustrated what a "devil's errand" is with his actions during a crucial handball incident. Faced with a question from a Ghanaian reporter about whether he had "committed a devilish act" during the match, Suarez responded nonchalantly: "Is it my fault if I don't score from 12 yards?"
Suarez's handball blocked Ghana's sure goal in the last eight of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
This World Cup showdown between the two teams in 2010, in contrast to the 2002 Portugal-South Korea feud, was made especially crucial by a handball from Luis Suarez. It was the handball that allowed Ghana to miss a 12-yard penalty, allowing Uruguay to extend the game and successfully stop Ghana in the ensuing penalty shootout to advance to the last eight. Come 2022, even though this match was only a preliminary round, it was a win or go home decision for both sides.
In this year's World Cup, Ghana's performance has been amazing, with the exception of the two massacres between England and Iran and Spain and Costa Rica, Ghana's goal scoring has been among the highest. Both games produced five goals, which has become the much-talked about "traffic code". However, Ghana's backline lacked stability and conceded two goals in five minutes against both Portugal and South Korea. Against South Korea, the backline was repeatedly pressed by the speed of the opponents, and the front of the goal was dangerous. Therefore, how to find a balance between the stability of the back line and the speed limitations of the side of the road, Ghana has become an urgent problem to be solved.
Meanwhile, Uruguay's attacking efficiency in this World Cup has been worrying, with only four shots on goal from 21 attempts, which could not be converted into goals. Against Ghana, Uruguay will need to win and net at least two goals to advance. Uruguay is expected to play a 433 formation with Nunez and Suarez as key players.
Given that Uruguay will be playing offense in this match, Ghana, which is good at defensive counterattack, is expected to find opportunities in it. The key lies in whether Uruguay can improve its attacking efficiency and whether the Ghanaian backline can stay focused for 90 minutes. However, the match is expected to be a wide-open attacking battle, with Uruguay predicted to draw 2:2 against Ghana.
