Luis Suarez already is one of Barcelona’s most important players and he will remain so going forward.
We honestly weren’t sure what to expect when one of world soccer’s most combustible characters debuted for his new team in one of the sport’s most white-hot occasions. Like much of the world, all we could do was watch.
Suarez, 27, finally played his first game in anger for Barcelona on Saturday. It ended in disappointment, as visiting Barcelona lost 3-1 to its eternal rival Real Madrid in “El Clasico.” While Suarez made his impact felt in his first competitive game at club level since May, it was less forceful than we’ve come to expect from the former Liverpool hero. However, it makes sense, as Suarez’s season only began Saturday.
Suarez, whose four-month biting ban expired Friday, surprisingly was in the starting lineup for his new team — at the first opportunity. Suarez played the first 69 minutes of the contest before Pedro replaced him and he headed to the bench.
It didn’t take long for Suarez to enter the fray. Suarez set up Neymar’s opening goal, which came just 182 seconds into the game. The Uruguayan’s cross-field pass found Neymar, who did the hard work to score a truly excellent goal.
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That was the only time Suarez’s name appeared on the score-sheet, but he remained influential in the first half. Suarez could have had a second assist, had Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas not diverted Lionel Messi’s point-blank effort away from the goal.
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Suarez held up the ball well, bringing his teammates into play. When the ball came to Suarez, he willingly ran at defenders or made good decisions with his passing. Without it, Suarez pressured those same opponents into making mistakes in their half of the field.
Suarez also treated the global audience to some familiar antics. His passing was sharp, his movement dynamic, and his running battles with defenders Pepe and Sergio Ramos reminded us that he still is willing to enter that gray area between being an honest competitor and cheating.
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Suarez’s importance to Barcelona was most apparent after his substitution. Real Madrid was leading 3-1 when Suarez left the field, and didn’t pose much of a threat in the 20 minutes it played without him. Real Madrid sat deep in its own half, while Barcelona passed around the ball 30 yards from goal without much intent and floated crosses into the box, which defenders cleared with little fuss. The teams probably could have played another 60 minutes, and Barcelona wouldn’t have scored.
Barcelona could have used some magic and fighting spirit from a fully fit Suarez, but that player didn’t exist on this day. Suarez is working his way back to match-fitness — two months of practicing can’t replace the intensity of competitive games. It won’t take long for Suarez to start scoring, and it’s only a matter of time before his next bout with controversy.
But Saturday wasn’t the time for Suarez to shine brightest, nor was the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium the place for him to erupt.
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Photo by Paul White/The Associated Press
