World Cup 2014: 7 things we learned from day 13 including the conundrum of Luis Suarez after bite

Jack Lang takes a look at what we now know after day 13 of the 2014 World Cup - and there's a familiar face who featuresil

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Oh Luis: Another bite last night

Oh Luis.

You are such a great footballer but such a bemusing human being. There you were, lighting up the World Cup after a miracle recovery, when BOOM you’ve just bitten another opponent.

The inquest is already underway. I don’t think you’re going to enjoy it.

Still, at least Uruguay got through, eh? Plus there was that drama with Greece.

What’s that? You’re fed up with the stylistic conceit of me talking to you? Me too. Let’s get down to business.

Luis Suarez is a conundrum

Really, what can you say that hasn’t already been said? And how much of what has been said actually comes within light year of capturing any truth about the man?

Rather than adding to the hubbub, here is a quote that I found interesting on Monday. It’s the closest I’ve seen to an apt metaphor for the Uruguayan.

Ale Garay, Suarez’s youth team coach at Nacional: “I compare him to someone with a tiger at the bottom of their garden. You give him the best food, the best care, but one day the tiger will open the door and eat you. Why? Because he is still a tiger.”

Football as theatre

I was watching Italy vs Uruguay in an airport in Rio de Janeiro. Normally, that would be a disaster, but they’ve installed big screens for the World Cup so it’s actually quite an event. Around 100 people were there for the game, most of them Uruguay fans.

The reaction when You Know Who did You Know What – bemusement and anger and moral opprobrium and laughter and so on – was one of my best moments of the World Cup so far. Pure drama.

Italy bow out with a whimper

The Azzurri did no favours to those tired of the Italy-as-purveyors-of-defensive-football stereotype at the Estadio das Dunas. Knowing that a draw would be enough for them to progress, they dropped deeper and deeper in the second half, clearly happy to take the 0-0.

By the time Diego Godin scored, they had made all three substitutions and had no out-and-out striker on the pitch. Their late efforts to net a leveller were as unconvincing as they were desperate.

Adios, England

OK, so obviously I was watching the Italy game. Got away with one, on the evidence of the highlights. Or rather, the “highlights”.

Who could have predicted that England’s best result of the World Cup would be a goalless draw with the supposed worst team in the group, who nonetheless finished top?

Quinn Rooney

Waving goodbye: England are out - at least they drew with the group winners

Colombia are on a roll

Jose Pekerman made a host of changes for his side’s final group game, but they didn’t disrupt Colombia’s rhythm. Los Cafeteros romped to a 4-1 win over Japan, with James Rodriguez once again magnificent.

He teed up the impressive Jackson Martinez for the second, before rounding off the scoring with a dribble and finish of which Diego Maradona would have been proud. Next up for Colombia: Uruguay at the Maracana. Woof.

Greece lightning strikes twice

In their first two games, Greece produced some of the most joyless football imaginable. 11 big blokes (with good hair, admittedly), hoofing the ball long with no real attempt at creativity or style. There was perhaps some masochistic pleasure to be gleaned in watching them, but you never thought they’d make it out of the group.

And yet here we are. F ernando Santos’ man judged things perfectly against Ivory Coast , going ahead just before the break and keeping their cool despite Wilfried Bony’s leveller. Their winner came very late, but you couldn’t say they didn’t deserve it. Their game against Costa Rica – the Underdog Ball, I’m calling it – should be fun.

Ivory Coast only have themselves to blame

Three games, three individual errors that led directly to goals for the Elephants’ opponents: Serey Die against Colombia; Cheick Tiote and Giovanni Sio last night.

Luis Suarez (redux)

Let me just… check with… yep, he’s still a conundrum.

Do you think Suarez bit Chiellini, or was it an accident?

• I think he did it on purpose
• I think it was an accident