09-09-2019, 03:01 AM
MANCHESTER, England -- Luis Suarez returned to the Premier League in explosive fashion on Sunday, teaming up with strike partner Daniel Sturridge to propel Liverpool to a 3-1 win at Sunderland that inflicted more misery on the divisions managerless bottom team. Liverpool climbed to second place in the standings, two points behind Arsenal, after Suarez added to Sturridges contentious opening goal that came off his arm by scoring twice at the Stadium of Light. After serving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a league match in April, Suarez made his comeback in a frustrating League Cup loss to Manchester United on Wednesday. He found the cutting edge against Sunderland, though, to help Liverpool earn a fourth win in six games and provide another demonstration of his burgeoning partnership with Sturridge that was cut short by Suarezs act of folly five months ago. "Hes getting the reward for his hard work over the period that he was off," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said of Suarez. "Him and Daniel up front are a real, real handful. They combined very well." Norwich beat Stoke 1-0 in Sundays other match, with Jonny Howson scoring the winner from long range in the 34th minute to secure his teams second victory of the season. Suarez couldnt have asked for more compliant opposition in his comeback match in the Premier League, with Sunderland having now lost five of its six games and being stranded at the foot of the table on just one point. Interim manager Kevin Ball, who is in charge following the firing of Paolo Di Canio last weekend, was unable to shore up the leagues leakiest defence in the face of one of the leading strike partnerships in English football. Sturridge climbed to the top of the scoring charts with his fifth goal of the campaign, inadvertently bundling the ball in with his upper arm after misjudging the flight of Steven Gerrards corner in the 28th minute. Sturridge then turned provider, cutting in from the right and crossing for Suarez to poke in at the far post in the 36th. After Emanuele Giaccherini had halved the deficit in the 52nd, the same combination struck for Liverpool again to seal victory in the 89th, Sturridge making inroads down the left flank this time and crossing for Suarez to hook home a left-footed finish. "Its great to have him back in, he gives us options and hes one of the best forwards in the league," Sturridge said of Suarez. "We form a good partnership." Liverpool went above third-place Tottenham on goals scored and is now six points above arch-rival Man United, which sits in 12th place after losing 2-1 to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. United is level on seven points with Stoke and Norwich, who served up poor fare at Britannia Stadium except for Howsons brilliant effort that separated the sides. "It was a disappointing performance and we were poor," said Stoke manager Mark Hughes, whose team outplayed Man City in its last home game. "We never got any pace or power into our game, which is unlike us." Diego Reyes Mexico Jersey .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings take aim at an eighth straight victory on Monday night as they wrap up a road trip versus the Calgary Flames. Mexico Jerseys . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. http://www.nationalsoccermexico.com/raul...co-jersey/. The CFL club is making the move after holding its camp and regular-season practices at the University of Toronto campus in Mississauga, Ont. 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Even when Benfica was reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute as Argentine midfielder Enzo Perez picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Arturo Vidal, Jorge Jesus squad maintained its composure. "Were a squad that tries to defend to perfection, and we more than deserved to advance," Benfica defender Guilherme Siqueira said. Its the third time Benfica has reached the final, having been runner-up in 1983 and last year, when the Portuguese side was beaten by Chelsea. In the May 14 final back in Turin, Benfica will face Sevilla, which scored in added time of a 3-1 loss at Valencia to advance on the away goal rule. With Diego Maradona watching from the tribune, Juventus controlled for long periods and came close to scoring the lone goal it needed. Andrea Pirlo shot high eight minutes in and a bicycle-kick attempt from Carlos Tevez also went high in the 24th. In the 43rd, a header from defender Leonardo Bonucci went just wide folllowing a free kick from Pirlo, and Tevez couldnt quite reach it at the far post.dddddddddddd In first-half added time, Paul Pogba inspired another chance for Juventus, leading to a header from Vidal that beat Oblak, but defender Luisao cleared the danger off the line. A downpour accompanied by hail greeted the squads at the start of the second half, and Benfica came close with a shot from Rodrigo that sailed over the bar in the 50th. Pirlo found the target with a splendid free kick in the 62nd but Oblak made a leaping save in the top right corner. Juventus substitute Pablo Osvaldo thought he scored in the 81st but was ruled offside. There was a brief skirmish between the benches in the final minutes, resulting in red cards for Juventus forward Mirko Vucinic, who did not play, and Benfica forward Lazar Markovic, who had just exited and will now miss the final. Benfica actually ended with nine men, as defender Ezequiel Garay was carried off on a stretcher following a collision, and all three substitutions were used. The referee let the match continue for eight minutes of added time but even that wasnt enough for Juventus, which can console itself by clinching its third successive Serie A title with a win over Atalanta on Monday. ' ' '