Luis Suarez scores twice from the penalty spot but is unable to stop Uruguay suffering chastening World Cup qualifying defeat in Ecuador
- Uruguay were beaten heavily by Ecuador in their second World Cup qualifier
- Luis Suarez scored twice late on but Uruguay were already 4-0 down in Quito
- The now-Atletico Madrid striker scored both of his goals from the penalty spot
- Uruguay are now sixth in the table, with the top four automatically qualifying
Luis Suarez scored twice but was perilous to stop Uruguay getting hammered 4-2 by Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night.
The now-Atletico Madrid striker netted both of his goals from the penalty spot, but they came with his side already four goals down in Ecuador.
The home side, reeling from their opening-day defeat by Argentina, went ahead through Moises Caicedo after 13 minutes.
Luis Suarez picks up the ball after scoring a penalty but it was too little, too late for Uruguay
Suarez trudges off the field, boot in hand, after the disappointing 4-2 defeat in Ecuador
Michael Estrada then got a goal each side of half time to put them firmly in the driving seat before Gonzalo Plata made it four with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Suarez got two goals back for Uruguay in the dying minutes, both of them from the spot, to put a more respective sheen on the scoreline.
Nevertheless, it was Uruguay’s first defeat over 90 minutes since going down 1-0 to world champions France in a November 2018 friendly, a run that extends back 15 games.
The top four sides in the 10-team South American group qualify directly for Qatar 2022 and the fifth-placed side goes into an inter-regional playoff.
After the opening two matches, Uruguay sit sixth with a win and a defeat. Brazil and Argentina are the only two sides with a 100 per cent win record at the start of the qualifying campaign.
Michael Estrada (left), who plays his club football for Toluca in Mexico, scored twice in the tie
Ecuador’s players celebrate during their impressive win over Suarez and Co in Quito
