Luis Suarez scores first-half hat-trick on his Gremio debut
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Luis Suárez scores a first-half hat-trick on his Gremio debut… as the Uruguayan striker gets off to a great start to life in Brazil after leaving his childhood club Nacional for the second time
- Luis Suárez debuted for Gremio against Sao Luiz on Tuesday night
- The Uruguayan scored a hat-trick in the first 38 minutes of the game
- It was his first game since leaving the Nacional boyhood club for the second time.
Luis Suárez enjoyed a dream debut for Gremio when he scored a hat-trick inside 38 minutes in their 4-1 victory over Sao Luiz in the Gaucho Cup Winners’ Cup on Tuesday night.
The 35-year-old left his boyhood club Nacional for the second time last month after a brief stint with the Uruguayan outfit, deciding to take on a new challenge in Brazil by signing a two-year contract with Gremio.
It didn’t take long for her to settle in as she opened her account in five minutes. Holding on to a bouncing ball, Suárez kept his composure and delicately lobbed the ball over the rushing goalkeeper to put his team in front.
Luis Suárez scored a brilliant hat-trick on his debut for Gremio on Tuesday night
His first goal saw him flick the ball over the rushing goalkeeper inside five minutes.
Sao Luiz equalized just nine minutes later, but Suárez’s teammate Bitello restored Gremio’s lead, and Suárez took it upon himself to put the game out of doubt.
He scored his second goal just after half an hour, producing the kind of clinical finishing that made him one of the most fearsome forwards in European football during his prime.
He completed his hat-trick seven minutes before the break, taking advantage of the Sao Luiz keeper being out of position, volleying past two defenders into the corner of the net.
Suárez couldn’t stop smiling as he celebrated in front of adoring Gremio fans having become an instant hero for his new team.
Suárez’s second goal saw him wait for the keeper to come down before putting the ball into the opposite corner.
His hat-trick goal came from a volley past two defenders and into the bottom corner.
It was a far cry from the emotions he displayed when he was last seen on a soccer field at the World Cup in Qatar.
On that occasion, he was left in tears when Uruguay exited the tournament in the group stage after falling agonizingly short of reaching the knockout rounds.
Suárez was unable to score during the competition, which could be his last in a Uruguay shirt.
He did do something to put that disappointment behind him on Tuesday, though, as he delivered a performance that suggested he still has a lot left in the tank.