Luis Suarez hides his face after Liverpool’s calamitous draw at Crystal Palace

LUIS Suarez couldn’t bear to show his face. Liverpool had just thrown away everything, completing a horrendous choke that will be remembered for years.

Sam Clench

@SamClench

2 min read

May 6, 2014 - 6:52AM

LUIS Suarez couldn’t bear to show his face.

Liverpool’s star striker has waded shamelessly through so many personal controversies, but at Selhurst Park this morning, embarrassment finally overcame him. The Uruguayan pulled his jersey up over his face and broke down in tears.

Suarez had to be guided off the field by his captain, Steven Gerrard. His face remained hidden the whole time.

Luis Suarez couldn’t show his face.

Liverpool had just thrown away everything. Needing a win at Crystal Palace to stay in the running for their first league title in 24 years, the Reds surged to a 3-0 lead, which they held until the 79th minute. They then succumbed to nerves and fell apart.

MORE: Read the match report

Palace, a solid but rather toothless mid-table team, scored three goals in nine minutes to destroy Liverpool’s season and leave Suarez a sobbing wreck.

Wonder how Steven Gerrard’s feeling right now?

Nine days ago, leading into their clash with Chelsea, Liverpool were the title favourites by some margin. Since then, they’ve choked horrendously.

Gerrard slipped over to hand the Blues a victory at Anfield, and this morning Liverpool’s defence panicked, relinquishing what should have been an unassailable lead.

Now, unless Manchester City suffers a similar calamity in its final matches, the Reds will finish second in the league. They’ve lost the title that would have ended a famous and ever-more-painful drought. Even worse, it’s their own fault.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers.

Luis Suarez obviously knows that. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, speaking after the game, was also shell-shocked, although he did manage to show his face.

“I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say. You look at Suarez and sort of feel sorry for him, but you can’t. That is not acceptable,” Carragher said.

“This has been their achilles heel all season. You always felt their defence would come back to haunt them. The strikers normally get them out of jail but you can’t keep conceding goals at this level and expect to win trophies.”

The jersey isn’t hiding his face yet here, but Suarez is already breaking down.

“They are going to be thinking the worst thoughts in the world tonight,” former Manchester United star Gary Neville added.

“They know it could be many years before they get back to being this close. It is a big chance they will feel as though they have blown.”

Liverpool’s manager, Brendan Rodgers, tried to remain positive in his post-match interview.

We actually thought Palace were going to steal the win for a few minutes.

“The dressing room is very quiet, as you’d imagine,” he said. “Real poor defending was what cost us. Palace showed great spirit to come back into it, but really, you’ve got to manage the game better than that.

“I think (City) will go on and win those two games and be champions. For us, it’s been an outstanding season.”

That’s true enough. Liverpool’s season has exceeded everyone’s expectations ... but that’s not how it will be remembered. Instead, this will be the year Liverpool threw it all away.