England 1 - Uruguay 2: Suarez double leaves Roy's World Cup hopes hanging by a thread #TheElitePartyInJuly #Entertain9jar via @myentertain9jar

ENGLAND are only braced to leave the party, but the hangover will have already kicked in for Roy Hodgson.

 

Luis Suarez heads past a despairing Joe Hart to put Uruguay ahead[EPA]

That it is Luis Suarez who is causing the headaches for the Football Association yet again adhered to the script where previously this had been a World Cup that had confounded and dumbfound in equal measure.
In some respects, the header and rasping drive Suarez brilliantly dispatched beyond Joe Hart either side of Wayne Rooney’s first World Cup goal were astonishing, although not simply because it coincided with his comeback from knee surgery on May 22.
The Uruguay striker’s instincts, as much as his fitness, saw him move into the perfect position on each occasion, but the space he was afforded by an England side once more unnerved too easily was dreadful and dispiriting.
The glow of Rooney’s strike which had levelled matters on 75 minutes had not yet subsided when Suarez ensured it was to be all in vain. And so if Italy and Costa Rica draw today, England will be heading home before the postcards.
Where England coaches Gary Neville and Ray Lewington took a long hard look at Suarez doing his pre-match warm-up, anxious to pick up any clues as to his fitness, Steven Gerrard required only the briefest of sightings to test the striker’s troublesome knee.
Barely 30 seconds had elapsed when the Liverpool captain reintroduced himself to his club-mate and left Suarez, who seemed genuinely shocked it was his friend who had turned assassin, on the turf.

Wayne Rooney drew England level with a tap in from close range [PA]

Retribution was suitably swift. Suarez shoulder-barging Gerrard over soon after and the two moments were symptomatic of two teams jostling for position.
England had contributed in defeat to an enthralling contest against Italy. Here, Hodgson would have hoped to exert more control.
Raheem Sterling, so free and fearless against the Azzurri, found it harder going on the right and likewise Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge were unable to stretch a rival defence that had rediscovered the resolve that had been absent against the Costa Ricans. Yet they cannot be expected to carry all of the burden.
It was no surprise therefore that England’s best openings game from set pieces. Rooney was inches too high with a 20-yard free kick after Diego Godin handled Sturridge’s attempted pass to free his strike partner.
Thereafter he went closer still to that elusive first goal. Rooney reached Gerrard’s corner to the back post above Martin Caceres, but could not get totally over the ball. Agonisingly, he struck the crossbar from a yard out.
But these were isolated scares for Uruguay. The attacking intent England had previously shown in keeping with this free-flowing tournament having deserted them.
Given the defensive frailties that have been evident all too often, such impotency was a bad sign and allowed Oscar Tabarez’s side to remain comfortable where the game-plan had been to leave they stretched.
Hodgson would have lamented the role his players conjured in their own demise. Gerrard was unable to prevent Nicolas Lodeiro slithering away in the middle of England’s half and he transferred the ball to Edinson Cavani on the left of the penalty area.