Gerard: The qualifications for the 2010 World Cup comes around, and it’s your first World Cup, I imagine those are amazing memories, no?
Suárez: Yes. I think Uruguay in terms of overall level — always in the World Cup there’s one team that surprises — and, well, in that one I think it was us. It was between us and Ghana, and in the quarterfinals we ended up winning against them on penalty kicks. I assume later you will ask me about the handball, hahaha!
As for the experience, it was spectacular for Uruguay to get to the quarterfinals. We got to the semis with the whole team in good form, and Diego Forlán, in that World Cup, he killed it. It was spectacular, I think he was our breakout star, and I think, for what Uruguay was, and how Uruguay got there, we had a huge World Cup.
Gerard: Tell me how you felt after that handball [against Ghana in the quarters], because afterward I saw you in the locker room tunnel, when you saw them missing the penalty kick and …
Suárez: Not in the locker room. There, in the tunnel.
Gerard: You were in the locker room tunnel, and there’s an image of you celebrating when the ball hits the bar. And you go to penalty kicks, and you end up qualifying.
Suárez: Hahaha!
Gerard: But, that play — first you save it without touching it with your hand, and afterward you do put your hand on it.
Suárez: Yes.
Gerard: It must have been a very odd sensation for you because you ended up being sent off and not being able to play in the semifinals, but you did save the team.
Suárez: Yes, the truth is, it was a bit of everything — of being depressed, of being sad, of being sent off. Because we were going to lose, but if they weren’t scoring that goal we weren’t going to lose, and … well, you get up within 30 seconds when he takes the penalty kick, the satisfaction of … of … well, I took a risk in a situation of which I have been blamed for anti fair play. However, the Ghana player missing the penalty is not my fault.
Gerard: Not at all.
Suárez: I didn’t kick anyone or anything like that, that’s why I think that I celebrated like that, for having taken a risk for something that was worth it. And I remember that I celebrated it more than a goal. A teammate on the bench passed out on that play, hahaha.
Gerard: Hahaha. Seriously?! I didn’t know that. Who was it?
Suárez: Castillo. Juan Castillo.
Gerard: He passed out! Hahaha.
Suárez: There, in the celebration of the penalty kick, he says he passed out. And well, I left screaming and went to the locker room to watch the penalty kicks. And, the truth is, it was painful watching the penalty kicks in the locker room. I’ll tell you, when El Loco Abreu hits the penalty kick I was with a …
Gerard: He does a Panenka.
Suárez: Yes, yes, yes. He chips it, El Loco, and we were with one of the kit men. We are watching what El Loco is doing — and we say “good, good, good” — and we see everyone taking off running. We hadn’t realized that we had won! And then we went running onto the field, and it was was incredible. It was a moment that, to me, is one of the best moments I experienced with the national team.
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