Suarez shows true toughness in Uruguay victory

James Sharman breaks down what went wrong for England, how Luis Suarez helped Uruguay win and it was that kind of dominant player England was lacking.

Two matches and two losses for England at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, yet somehow advancement to the next round is still possible.

That’s something that has never happened before under this format, mind you. So, yeah, the future is bright. What a shrewd tactical method of advancing in a tournament. Progressive management from Roy Hodgson’s stable of footy soothsayers.

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Here are some thoughts on Uruguay’s win over England:

• I don’t really feel much different now than I did before the match to be honest. I was well aware of England’s problem area, and that proved to be the case as the defence was simply not up to the challenge. I fear that had Uruguay been more aggressive, they could have sliced that back four to shreds even more than they did. I am happy, however, with England’s attack. It’s not Chile, but at least the future has some hope. That defence though? Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka aren’t old; they’re in their prime actually. That is a problem.

• Luis Suarez said post-match that he had dreamt about scoring two goals, and was ecstatic due to all the criticism and suffering he has suffered in recent years. I’m assuming he was referring to the criticism and suffering he received for racial abuse and cannibalism.

• On the other side, Luis Suarez is not only a magician, he’s tough as nails. To put on that display without a pre-tournament camp following knee surgery is absolutely incredible. It’s amazing the swagger one player can give a team. The Uruguay that lost to Costa Rica couldn’t polish the boots of the Uruguay that beat England.

• Oscar Tabarez was clever allowing his team to sit and let England have the ball. England doesn’t like the ball; it gives it away too easily. However, Ross Barkley and Adam Lallana are players that look far more comfortable in possession. There I go again with the future talk.

• Poor Steven Gerrard. A tough few weeks for the English captain with slips and back headers that cost his teams enormous points at critical stages.

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