Suarez, Roberto strikes lift Barcelona to victory

Goals from Luis Suarez and Sergi Roberto lifted Barcelona to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday that manager Luis Enrique called an encouraging start to the European Champions’ North American tour. Uruguay international Suarez came out on top in a clash with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard - the Galaxy’s latest acquisition from Europe. His 45th-minute strike and Roberto’s 56th-minute goal ensured that even without such stars as Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar - let off the pre-season tour after Copa America duty - Barcelona got the win their dominant performance deserved in front of 93 226 fans at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. It was the largest crowd ever to watch a match featuring a Major League Soccer (MLS) club. “Based on what a first game of the pre-season looks like, considering we’ve only had about seven days of practice, a lot of travelling, overall I feel very positive,” the coach said. Barcelona, preparing to defend their La Liga, Copa Del Rey and Champions League treble, effectively neutralised any threat from Gerrard and Galaxy teammate Robbie Keane, while pressing relentlessly themselves. The Galaxy now head back into MLS action, visiting the Dynamo in Houston on Sunday. Barcelona will now travel up coast to take on Manchester United on Saturday at Levi’s Stadium. “In three days we’ll have to be better,” said Luis Enrique, whose team complete their US swing against English champions Chelsea on July 28 in suburban Washington DC before playing Fiorentina in Florence on August 2. PASADENA-NAMPA/AFP