Suarez hits winner in 100th game

URUGUAY 1 SAUDI ARABIA 0

LOVE him or loathe him, it’s hard to ignore Luis Suarez when the World Cup comes around. The Barcelona star scored on his 100th international appearance for Uruguay in sweltering Rostov to send the South Americans and hosts Russia through to the last 16 from Group A. It meant elimination for Saudi Arabia and Egypt, who will now meet in a dead rubber. At least the Saudis redeemed themselves after a 5-0 horror show against Russia that brought national humiliation and threats of punishment in a state not known for its leniency. Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side, whose plane caught fire en route to Rostov, had more possession than a team tipped by some as dark horses to win this tournament but their defensive failings again proved costly. Replacement goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais rushed out to meet a corner in the 23rd minute but ended up flapping at thin air under pressure from Diego Godin. Suarez was waiting unmarked to meet the ball with a simple tap-in. The former Liverpool striker became the first Uruguayan to score in three different World Cup finals but it was a flat team performance. Coach Oscar Tabarez said: ‘He takes on the pressure and lives with it all the time. In some matches, he doesn’t play extraordinarily well, but he always gives us hope.’ Pizzi denied that he had been forced to leave out the three Saudi players named and shamed by football federation chief Adel Ezzat after the Russia debacle. He added: ‘That was a very hard blow for us. We will be playing our third match without any chance to progress, but we hope the Saudi people will still feel proud.’