Luis fooled Britannia

Luis Suárez humiliated England in the 2014 extravaganza in football's homeland, Brazil, by scoring two goals either side of Wayne Rooney's first ever World Cup goal in their Group D clash in Recife last night.

England's manager Roy Hodgson would be forgiven for believing now that Suárez is world-class .

It had to be Suárez, the player who has been the best in the Premier League this year, the man voted PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.

It had to be Suárez slaying the team representing the FA, the organisation with which he has such history. Except for Rooney's close-range effort, England lacked the killer touch that Suárez had.

Suárez had been dreaming of this moment ever since the draw, ever since Steven Gerrard had jokingly sent him a text message saying England had been granted an easy group.

Suárez had been hoping to be fit in time for this test against a nation that had castigated and celebrated him in equal measure.

He certainly took his chance brilliantly six minutes before the break.

The game had been billed as Suárez versus Rooney, about who would shine most.

Gerrard, Suárez's club captain, had taken Rooney to one side in the tunnel as the teams emerged from the dressing-room, having a quiet word. Rooney had known the spotlight was on him, following some average displays for his country.

Raheem Sterling and Danny Welbeck were out wide, running at a Uruguayan defence disrupted by injury to their main organiser West Brom's Diego Lugano and suspension of Maximiliano Perrier of Portugal's Benfica.

Sterling had been the key against Italy but Hodgson granted Rooney's wish, creating a platform for him, allowing him to play in a position that matched his number.

Suárez, starting only five weeks after knee surgery, was patently far from fit but adrenalin and determination and those many skills, ensured he remained a threat to England. He even beat Gerrard to an aerial ball, proving too powerful for his Liverpool captain, who bounced off him.

There were cameos of excellence rather than a sustained dominant individual performance until Suárez took control.

Even before his 39th-minute goal, Suárez was menacing and the half-time frustration over Suárez's goal was based in England's regret that they themselves could have taken the lead after 30 minutes. When Welbeck was brought down by Martín Cáceres, Gerrard whipped the free-kick to the far-post, where the jumping Rooney headed against the bar.

England enjoyed greater possession in the first half - 59% - but by the final whistle, Uruguay claimed the one figure that mattered, the score line at full-time.