WATCH: Luis Suarez's Free Kick, PK, Rabona Assist Lead Uruguay Over Mexico
The El Tri faithful in Houston were treated to the Luis Suarez show.
The Uruguay star's sensational free kick restored his nation's lead over Mexico, and his penalty kick and rabona assist padded the advantage in a 4-1 win as the two nations that reached the World Cup knockout stage tangled at a packed NRG Stadium Friday night in a friendly.
Suarez's first goal gave Uruguay a 2-1 lead, after Jose Gimenez's header off a corner kick was canceled out by Raul Jimenez's penalty kick.
Suarez lined up the free kick, some 25 yards from goal, curling it around the wall and tucking it inside the right post, by a diving Guillermo Ochoa, in the 32nd minute of a lively match.
The action started early, when Hirving Lozano, a breakout star at the World Cup who is in scorching-hot form with PSV Eindhoven, forced an early save from Fernando Muslera.
Uruguay responded 10 minutes later, when Gimenez's set-piece header beat Ochoa for the opener.
The lead didn't last long, though, with Lozano earning a penalty, which Jimenez converted.
Suarez restored the lead 10 minutes after that, and it got even better for Uruguay in the 40th minute, when the Barcelona star won a penalty for La Celeste. He converted–with a Panenka, no less–making it 3-1.
Suarez added a phenomenal assist in the 59th minute, putting a rabona cross from the left on a platter for Gaston Pereiro, who powered home the header to make it 4-1. Suarez exited a few minutes later to a deserved ovation, replaced by Seattle Sounders star Nicolas Lodeiro.
Mexico had a chance to pull one back in the 75th minute from the penalty spot, but Jimenez couldn't strike twice, with Muslera coming up with the save, reading the spot kick the whole way to keep it 4-1.
Mexico will remain in the U.S. after this match, taking on the rival U.S. men's national team in Nashville on Tuesday. For Uruguay, a quarterfinalist in Russia this past summer, this is its only match of the September fixture window.
