Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Evra-Suarez Race Row: Victory for the Team, One Individual or the Game?


In the build up to the game between Manchester united and Liverpool, there had been so much made of the racial row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra; both of them key players for their respective sides, and this had put a very strange colouring on the game. Amidst all of the speculations over who was right or wrong, and the consequential eight match ban for the Liverpool striker, the stage was set for what was to be the biggest match of the weekend. The club officials had come out to play down the issue on the basis of concentrating solely on the round leather game, but many could easily predict that there was some drama to come beginning from the decision to either shake hands or not, between the two actors involved. After so much anticipation and speculation, the game finally began and almost everyone got to shake hands except Luis Suarez who refused to shake the hand of a certain Patrice Evra. It could only signify something; the rift was far from over and the bad blood was to be carried over into the game.


Apart from the long drawn row between the two players, it is common knowledge that both teams have always had the long running rivalry between them and there has never been much love between fans of both clubs. The race row was only to add to the feisty relationship that had always existed, dating back to very many years in the past. Moving away from the row to the individuals involved; which ever team won on the day would have decided which of the two individual actors got the bragging right and the seeming satisfaction of having had one over the other. Very early in the game, Liverpool looked to be more on the front foot even with tackles flying especially in the Manchester united defence where the principal actors were involved and would always have the chance of potential contact. On the way the game went on, Liverpool came out more and seemed a bit more comfortable even while Manchester United struggled as the home team on the night, initially preferring to catch Liverpool on the break. No doubt, it was early days and Liverpool seemed to have settled in better, while the home team was still looking to find their rhythm.


The initiative remained with the Liverpool side for some time, with Manchester united getting lovely surges upfront especially from the right wing through Luis Valencia who was giving the Liverpool left-back a torrid afternoon. Some of those breaks were to help switch the initiative back in favour of Manchester United and in no time the Liverpool midfield virtually collapsed, leaving the duo of old Paul Scholes and Micheal Carrick to take firm control of the game. Manchester United were put on the front foot creating chances from right left and centre, with chances falling to Danny Welbeck, Paul Scholes and Luis Valencia. The home team remained in front till the end of the first half, and one would have been forced to ask, why the Liverpool coach Kenny Daglish had adopted such troubling tactics choosing to play Jay Spearing, Jordan Hendersen, and Stewart Downing ahead of Charlie Adam and Craig Bellamy. It was clearly obvious that the two less-experienced players in the Liverpool midfield forced the more matured Steven Gerrard to stay back, having to play very deep rather being able to move further upfront to connect the midfield and the attack, with the potential opportunity of weighing in with a couple of goals or assists.


The other obvious question was why start Stewart Downing started ahead of Craig Bellamy who had been on a high burst of form lately only to have been taken off when the Liverpool team needed someone to send in the crosses as at when Andy Carroll was brought in to the game? As the game drew on, it became quite obvious that even the Liverpool players were confused and really could not interpret the tactics any longer. Manchester United was to make them pay, as they punished them very early in the second half with two goals in quick succession, the first coming in as early as the forty-ninth minute. They maintained the initiative all through out the second half, although Liverpool finally pulled one back through Luis Suarez, a little victory for the Uruguayan on the day. Before then, not much had been done to trouble David De Gea, the Manchester United goalkeeper.


Overall, Manchester United came out victorious, with Patrice Evra captaining the team on the day even with a personal score to settle. He seemed to have his fellow defender Rio Ferdinand sharing his sentiment as he showed that in no little manner to Luis Suarez in his conduct before and during the match. Both actors might have had individual victories on the night, although Patrice Evra may be seen to have come out with the more cherished victory, and thus he did not hesitate to express lavishly as he was so jubilant and cheerful in front of the Manchester United fans as if he had won the champions league. He even went close to the other actor while celebrating and it had to take some quick intervention from match officials and stewards to keep them apart. To be fair, maybe they never had the intention of joining issues or having an altercation, but the referee had to wade in with a word of caution for Patrice Evra seemingly telling him to be cautious as there could be further consequences down the line. The affair between both players had been quite melodramatic, and cast a shadow on the whole but the game could not have been the better for it as they left many unanswered questions and a continuous trail of controversy.