Players to Know: #3 Luis Suarez

Forward, Uruguay

Luis Suarez kind of looks like the infamous "Most Interesting Man In The World". While he probably can't speak fluent French in Russian, Suarez may indeed be the most interesting footballer in the world. He will undoubtedly be one of the best players to get off a plane in Brazil, but the Luis Suarez story starts with his baggage.

In the last four years, Suarez has created hubbubs by doing the following: In Uruguay's Quarter-final match against Ghana at the 2010 World Cup, Suarez deliberately tomahawked a ball off the goal line in the 120th minute to prevent Ghana from scoring the winning goal. When Ghana missed the ensuing penalty and ultimately lost the match, Suarez celebrated himself as the hero. Five months later, Suarez bit a player in the shoulder and received a two match suspension. Suarez's appetite wasn't satiated as two and a half years later, he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in the arm, and this time he received a 10-game ban. In between those incidents, Suarez reportedly racially abused Frenchman Patrice Evra, and then refused to shake Evra's hand in the pre-match pleasantries the next time the two met on the field. He's also dived roughly 4,582 times drawing the ire of defenders, coaches and even teammates. Whew! This guy seems crazy.



At the very least, Suarez is remarkably unpredictable. That same trait applies to his actual footballing game, and it's part of the reason he's one of the three or four best players in the world. Yes Suarez has pace, power, skill and a devastating shot, but it's the unexpected that puts him a cut above. Here's an example.

This was a designed play for Suarez, but it went awry. The pass was delivered about five yards too far behind him, and as an Arsenal fan watching this game, I thought to myself that the danger had passed. So did the defenders, goalie and even Suarez's teammate Kolo Toure who was so surprised by Suarez's shot that he was reduced to a pinball pin instead of an attacker.

Here's one more example.

Suarez will take shots when you don't expect him to. He'll cut when you expect him to shoot, and he can even pick a pass. There isn't much that Suarez can't do, and that makes him a nightmare to defend. It's also worth mentioning that he's in the form of his life. Suarez led the English Premier League in goals for 2013-14 with 31 - 10 more than any other player - and that was with a seven match ban to begin the season (for that whole biting matter). His 12 assists were the second most in the league. That's like leading the NBA in points and assists.

Unfortunately, Suarez picked up a knee injury in the final game of the season which has put some doubt around his fitness for this summer. He, however, has vowed he'll play. Just another layer of intrigue to the most interesting man at the World Cup. 

This article is part of the Players to Know series.