Suarez handball helps Uruguay into semis

Tonight's quarter final match will go down as one of the best of this World Cup. It had everything: controversy, great goals, late drama, a red card and a penalty shoot out. It was wonderful viewing.

After a decent first half, Sulley Muntari was given far too much space 35 yards from goal and found a low drive into the bottom corner to give Ghana the lead against Uruguay in time added on. It completely wrong-footed the goalkeeper and sparked celebrations for the majority of the 84,000 people inside Soccer City.

Diego Forlan's brilliant free kick in the second half took the game into extra time and the end of the 30 minutes was as dramatic a passage of football as I've ever seen.

Ghana were incorrectly awarded a free kick, and it led to an almighty goalmouth scramble in which two Ghanaian players should have been called offside. Luis Suarez blocked on shot brilliantly on the line and then batted a second away with his hands. He was rightly sent off, and Asamoah Gyan was tasked with putting Ghana in the semi-final with the final kick of the game. He missed, and Suarez celebrated like a maniac in the mouth of the tunnel after keeping his team in the World Cup.

As I'd suggested to those around me, Gyan stepped up for Ghana's first penalty and leveled the shoot-out at 1-1 with a confident, powerful kick. John Mensah's pathetic penalty was saved by Fernando Muslera, before Maxi Pereira skied his kick to give the Black Stars a chance. Unfortunately for them, Muslera was equal to Dominic Adiyiah's low penalty and left Uruguay needing just one more goal to go through.

What happened next defies belief. Sebastian Abreu strolled up to the penalty area looking completely unmoved by the occasion. He took his time placing the ball, with no nerves showing whatsoever. I was already amazed by his confidence before he took his shot, a deft, cheeky chip down the middle and into the net. Unbelievable stuff.

I have my views on the Suarez handball, which may be retrospectively punished even though it was punished on the spot - I'll be blogging those at some point, but not now. Gyan looked absolutely heartbroken after the shoot-out and will do well to bounce back.

(Pic via Bleacher Report)