Luis Suarez is shown a yellow card in the final minutes of his last ever international appearance for Uruguay
Eitan ABRAMOVICH
In other South American qualifiers on Friday, Luis Suarez bade a frustrating farewell to international football as Uruguay were held to a 0-0 draw by Paraguay in Montevideo.
Suarez, 37, announced on Monday he was stepping down from international duty after a glittering 17-year career for Uruguay that saw him finish as the country’s top scorer with 69 goals from 143 appearances.
Suarez was feted in a pre-game ceremony which saw him gathered on the field with his family to receive tributes from fans, as well as a video message of congratulations from close friend Lionel Messi.
“Uruguay is bigger than any player. Starting tomorrow I will be another fan,” an emotional Suarez told fans in an address to the stadium.
But the former Barcelona and Liverpool star, who now plays in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, was unable to add a 70th goal to his international tally in Friday’s farewell game at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.
Despite enjoying 65% possession, Uruguay were unable to find a way through a dogged Paraguay defence in a disjointed match littered with some 24 fouls.
Suarez, whose career at international and club level was dogged by controversies such as his ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup, was one of four Uruguay players to be shown a yellow card in a fractious encounter.
The result left Uruguay in second place in the standings with 14 points from seven games, four points behind leaders Argentina.
In Friday’s other qualifying game, third-placed Colombia needed a late goal from Liverpool’s Luis Diaz to salvage a 1-1 draw with Peru in Lima.
Alexander Callens had fired Peru into a shock lead on 68 minutes, but Diaz headed in from close range eight minutes from time to give Colombia a share of the points.
The result leaves Colombia in third place in the standings with 13 points from seven games.
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Publish date : 2024-09-06 20:06:00
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