LUIS SUAREZ kept his teeth to himself and let his boots do the talking as he scored the only goal in an otherwise drab 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia.

The result saw Uruguay book its passage to the Round of 16, right behind host nation Russia. The Saudis meanwhile, enjoyed the dubious distinction of becoming the second team to be eliminated from the 2018 World Cup, following Morocco’s loss to Portugal.

After spurning a number of gilt-edged chances in Uruguay’s opener, a 1-0 win over Egypt, Suarez looked sharper from the outset against the Saudis and had an early effort blocked by center back Osama Hawsawi.

The Barcelona striker snatched the game’s only goal in the 23rd minute, as Carlos Sanchez’s corner delivery found him unmarked inside the six, perfectly teeing Suarez up for the simplest of left-footed volleys.

The goal distinguished Suarez, who made headlines four years ago for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a Group Stage match, as the first Uruguay player to score at three different World Cups.

The win effectively ended Egypt’s hopes of fighting its way back into contention for a berth in the Round of 16, meaning Mohamed Salah’s World Cup looks set to end after just three matches. Saudi Arabia made rather a better account of itself. While the Green Falcons created little in terms of genuine goal threat, they were surprisingly dominant in possession and had a better rate of pass completion than Uruguay.(SD-Agencies)