SAO PAULO - Luis Suarez returned from injury to torpedo England's World Cup hopes with a brilliant double strike as Uruguay won 2-1 to leave Roy Hodgson's side on the brink of elimination Thursday. Suarez left hospital in a wheelchair only a month ago after keyhole surgery on his left knee, but he grabbed opportunistic goals in both halves to push England towards their earliest exit in 56 years.
The Liverpool marksman nodded Uruguay in front on 39 minutes before under-fire Wayne Rooney ended his World Cup jinx with his first ever goal in the tournament with 15 minutes remaining. But Suarez pounced on a long ball which skidded off the head of England captain Steven Gerrard and he smashed home the winner before celebrating wildly in front of the Uruguayan fans.
Suarez, frequently criticised over his chequered history which includes bans for racism and biting, said it was a "dream" result after battling back to fitness. "It was a dream afternoon because we won, because of the way we won, and for what the rival meant to me, for everything that was said, the doubts, and this was a way to demonstrate everything I wanted to prove," he said.
But for England, who lost their Group D opener 2-1 to Italy it was a nightmare evening which left them relying on the Azzurri beating Costa Rica on Friday to stay in the competition, but a Cosat Rica victory over Italy means end of the road for England. Hodgson said that he had no intention of resigning. "I'm bitterly disappointed, of course, but I don't feel I need to resign, no."
Despite familiar temperatures of 12 degrees C (54 F), England started nervily and after conceding an early corner, goalkeeper Joe Hart had to beat away Suarez's place-kick at his near post. But England's pacey forwards were soon causing problems and when Daniel Sturridge drew a foul for handball near the penalty area, Rooney's free-kick curled agonisingly wide. England, with Rooney playing centrally behind Sturridge, looked the stronger but they suffered a scare when Phil Jagielka lost the ball in defence and Cristian Rodriguez couldn't keep his rising shot on target.
After a scrappy period, Uruguay again went close when Suarez's low corner from the right was struck first time by Cavani but whistled over the bar. On the half-hour, Rooney came within inches of scoring when, from about a yard away, he headed a Steven Gerrard free-kick against the angle between the post and crossbar. England were in the ascendancy but six minutes from the break, it was Uruguay who scored on the counter via the hitherto quiet Suarez, after England lost the ball on the halfway line.
Nicolas Lodeiro passed left to Cavani, who wrong-footed the entire defence with a sumptuous diagonal chip to the Liverpool forward, who got away from Jagielka and looped his header over Hart. After the break, Suarez very nearly doubled Uruguay's lead first when his corner was parried by Hart off the line, and then when he shot well wide with the goal at his mercy. England, now defending in front of the Uruguay support, were looking ragged and Cavani also should have put his team 2-0 up when he burst into the penalty area but fired wide. However, Rooney almost got the equaliser when he latched on to a cross from the left and hammered a shot at the diving Muslera. An accidental Raheem Sterling knee to the head knocked out Alvaro Pereira but he refused to be substituted. Hodgson threw on Ross Barkley and Adam Lallana for Sterling and Danny Welbeck but it was Glen Johnson who created England's breakthrough when he beat his man on the right of the box.
The right-back's rolled ball fell perfectly for Rooney and the grateful Manchester United striker had the simplest of tap-ins as he finally scored his debut goal at a World Cup finals. Sturridge then worked Muslera as England, buoyed by Rooney's goal, came alive and looked an increasing threat. But again it was Uruguay who struck through Suarez, who gambled to latch onto a long ball from defence and lashed his shot past Hart.