One of the great memories of the 2014 World Cup was the bite of the Uruguayan Luis Suárez in the Italian Giorgio Chiellini. Something similar happened in another World Cup: the handball one played in Sweden. American Paul Skorupa was sent off on Thursday for biting a Bahraini player during a match in Malmoe, Sweden, one of the tournament’s two host countries.
It was 10 minutes into the second half and player Skorupa from Lübeck-Schwartau of the German second division bit Husain Al-Sayyad. The referees confirmed the assault after viewing video footage and then showing the American the red and then the blue card, implying the action could be worth a few matches suspension.
However, Skorupa felt that the cards shown were an excess, as after the fight he insisted that he did not bite Al-Sayyad.
“I defended myself with my head, but I never bit him. His shoulder may be a little red, but it was probably my blow to the head that caused it,” he said in press statements.
His words contrasted with those of the Bahraini centre-back, who insisted the American player tried to bite him. “I really don’t know what happened. We came to play handball and he tried to bite me on his arm. Maybe he wanted to provoke me, but it didn’t work for him,” said Al-Sayyad.
The Asians won 27-32 thanks largely to eleven goals from Husain Al-Sayyad, a result which keeps the Asian team alive in the fight for the quarter-finals. The United States has already been eliminated.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.