Suarez hat-trick sends Messi-less Barca into final
YOKOHAMA: A Luis Suarez hat-trick put Barcelona one step closer to a record third Club World Cup title yesterday as Guangzhou Evergrande had no answer to the Spanish giants’ firepower at International Stadium Yokohama.
Suarez became the first player to score three goals in a match at a Club World Cup as Barcelona overcame the loss of Lionel Messi to kidney problems to beat Chinese Super League champions 3-0.
More importantly his goals booked a match-up with Argentina’s River Plate in the final after the club from Buenos Aires battled past Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Wednesday.
Suarez’s goals, in the 39th, 50th and 67th minutes, went unanswered as Guangzhou struggled throughout the match to mount any sustained pressure on Barcelona’s defence.
Barcelona now head into Sunday’s final with high expectations as they chase their fifth trophy of 2015.
As expected, Barcelona dominated possession in front of the 63,870 spectators, but Guangzhou’s resolute defence did enough to keep the game scoreless until the 39th minute, when Suarez put the 2015 Champions League winners ahead.
The Uruguay striker pounced on a rebound, driving it into the net after Guangzhou goalkeeper Li Shuai could only parry a heavy drive from deep by Ivan Rakitic.
The first goal seemed to spur Guangzhou ahead, and moments later Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side had their best chance of the game, but a glancing header by Elkeson was dealt with by a diving Claudio Bravo in Barcelona’s goal.
Suarez’s second was a moment of brilliance. The mercurial striker controlled a ball lobbed forward by Andres Iniesta — who was the catalyst to many of Barcelona’s most dangerous forays — on his chest before striking into the top of the net with the outside of his right boot.
Suarez claimed his hat-trick when Munir El Haddadi’s heel was clipped inside the box by Huang Bowen, bringing the Spaniard down and leading referee Joel Aguilar to point to the spot.
With Argentine playmaker Messi likely out of the tournament after waking up with renal colic, and Neymar’s status unclear, Barcelona may be without two of their key men on Sunday. But if the semi-final is any indication, it might not matter.