SÃO PAULO, Brazil - Luis Suárez's first goal on Thursday was a touch of class, a deft header nodded in with precision and purpose and placement. Suárez's second goal, however - the one that was a death blow for England - was something closer to a savage blast.
The two goals from Suárez, the enigmatic Uruguayan forward, were the story of a World Cup game filled with drama, tension and controversy, which came when Álvaro Pereira, a Uruguayan defender, was knocked unconscious by a knee to his head but returned to the field minutes later despite receiving little more than cursory examination from a team doctor.
The 2-1 victory was critical for Uruguay after it was stunned by Costa Rica in its opening match, particularly since it still has to face Italy in the final game of Group D's round robin.
England, on the other hand, left Arena Corinthians stunned. The Three Lions are not mathematically eliminated after losing their opening two games, but they could be on Friday if Italy and Costa Rica tie. Even if that does not happen, England will need outside help - in addition to a big win over Costa Rica - to have any hope of advancing.
There is little cause for optimism. Wayne Rooney finally scored his first World Cup goal in his 10th game when he leveled the score at 1-1 in the 75th minute, tapping home a beautiful cross from Glen Johnson. But that moment was all there was for England, which dominated possession in the first half but still went to halftime trailing after Suárez, who missed Uruguay's first game as he recovered from minor knee surgery, headed home an inch-perfect cross from Edinson Cavani in the 39th minute.
Suárez, who was facing many of his Liverpool teammates, including England's captain, Steven Gerrard, did not hesitate after the ball left his head. He turned away before it had even gone past goalkeeper Joe Hart, firing two shots from his finger guns and sprinting toward the end corner flag in celebration. Suárez, who was the player of the year in the Premier League, scored three goals in five World Cup games in 2010 and added two more in his first game here.
The second goal was memorable, too. Just nine minutes after Rooney's goal, Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera blasted a punt up the field that glanced off Gerrard's head and bounced backward, right into the path of Suárez, who had alertly taken off running. Suárez sprinted in on goal and, after taking a touch to steady himself, unleashed a monstrous shot that whistled past Hart and rippled the net as the Uruguayan fans behind the goal erupted.
This time, Suárez ran to the corner flag and collapsed, face-first, into the grass. His teammates piled on top of him. The England players stared. They had been beaten, first by a soft touch and then, finally, by a moment of sheer power.
