Suarez ‘Emotional’ After Brazil Comeback Goal

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez says he was emotional after scoring to help his side come back from 2-0 down to save a 2-2 draw against Brazil in Friday’s World Cup qualifier.

Suarez, 29, made his first competitive start for Uruguay since being handed a nine-match suspension for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

The Barcelona striker bagged the equaliser, after Edinson Cavani had got one back following early goals from Douglas Costa and Renato Augusto, and insisted that Uruguay showed their fighting spirit in Recife.

“The first goal surprised us because they get us after a minute and it changes the approach we have from the beginning,” he told reporters. “But like always, this team showed rebellion and character.

“It was emotional [to score] for the support of my family because of how much I suffered.”

Meanwhile, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez says that Suarez’s return is of huge importance to his side.

“He’s had a wonderful career. He created three chances in the match and scored one,” Tabarez said. “He’s a player who does not surrender, who fights for the ball.

“When we started the qualifying without Suarez because of the FIFA penalty, I said to the fans that we would have the best reinforcement when he returned. No other team in in qualifying will have a player like him, with so much experience, more mature and in a great spell.

“The team is not Suarez and 10 others, but he is important, very important for us.”

Uruguay are now second in the CONMEBOL qualifying table after five matches and Tabarez insisted that a draw against Brazil was a good result.

“We’ve overcome a difficult situation. In the first half, the Brazilians dominated, they were more creative,” he added. “It was very important to get the goal in the first half and we were lucky to get a goal early in the second. Football is like that.

“Given the way the team started, it seems like this is a point won, not two lost.”