Luis Suarez Banned For Venezuela Game

[Folami David]

Striker Luis Suarez will miss South American champions Uruguay's crucial World Cup qualifier in Venezuela, the upstarts threatening to deny them a place in next year's finals in Brazil.
.
Suarez, who has scored eight goals in the qualifying campaign, picked up a second booking during Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Chile in Santiago and is suspended for Uruguay's June 11 visit to Venezuela.
.
However, Suarez got away with punching Chile's Gonzalo Jara as they tussled in the penalty area at a corner and could face further disciplinary action if Fifa acts on the incident which Argentine referee Nestor Pitana missed.
.
A spokesman for South American body Conmebol said any such incident would only be dealt with by Fifa should it be mentioned in the fourth official's report.
.
Suarez, often embroiled in controversy playing for English club Liverpool, was booked in September's 1-1 draw with Ecuador in Montevideo during a run in which Uruguay have taken two points from six matches, a paltry return for the 2011 Copa America winners and 2010 World Cup semifinalists.
.
However, the twice world champions who have so often punched above their weight have become accustomed to barren World Cup years as much as scraping into the finals in playoffs against teams from other confederations.
.
"What we have closest is a fight for fifth place so that's why the match with Venezuela has defining circumstances," Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez said.
.
"I'd say we're a bit surprised to have given away avoidable goals," he was quoted as saying in the Uruguayan daily El Pais (www.ovaciondigital.com.uy) referring to a defensive mistake that allowed Chile to take an early lead.
.
"No question that the defensive error of the first goal played a bigger part than the refereeing (in the defeat)," he added. Captain Diego Lugano complained that Pitana had missed four penalties.
.
Uruguay have no game on June 7 when Venezuela play in the thin air of Bolivia's capital La Paz before travelling to face them in the Caribbean.

[Shola Sholaz]

That would be a big blow to Uruguay. He is the kind of stricker they need to win the game for them. Too bad