Football: Uruguay beat England 2-1

Luis Suarez scored twice as Uruguay sent England spinning towards their earliest World Cup exit in 56 years on Thursday with a 2-1 victory in Sao Paulo, BNrazil. Liverpool striker Suarez grabbed the second of two opportunistic goals in the 85th minute of a tense Group D battle in Sao Paulo after Wayne Rooney had looked to have rescued a point for England with a 75th-minute equaliser. The defeat leaves England, beaten 2-1 by Italy in their opening match, needing a miracle if they are to reach the 2nd round of a 2014 FIFA World Cup, something they have not failed to do since 1958. Suarez -- named English football’s player of the year after a superb season for Liverpool -- had been a doubt for the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery in May. However the 27-year-old returned to haunt an England side containing five of his Liverpool team-mates.With both teams knowing that a defeat would likely prove fatal to their chances of progressing to the last 16, the game started cautiously. But England's inability to retain possession looked likely to gift Uruguay an opening, and so it proved. Loose play from England captain Steven Gerrard saw Uruguay break swiftly, with Nicolas Lodeiro releasing Edinson Cavani down the left. The Paris Saint-Germain striker delayed his cross to perfection, leaving Suarez, who had ghosted clear of Phil Jagielka, to head back past wrong-footed England goalkeeper Joe Hart. With England struggling to break Uruguay down for much of the second half, Suarez's opener looked to be enough. But 15 minutes from time Rooney tapped in his 40th international goal, and his first at a World Cup, after a low Glen Johnson cross to reignite their challenge. England had looked the likelier to score thereafter, but five minutes from time the ball broke to Suarez off Gerrard and the striker raced clear. The Liverpool man glanced up and then unleashed a ferocious shot into the roof of the net, according to AFP.