Colombian striker Radamel Falcao criticizes referee on twitter
Colombia succumbed to 2-1 loss in their quarterfinal tie against Brazil on Friday, and now the whole nation including their injured striker Radamel Falcao are blaming it on Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo’s officiating during the match.
The striker expressed his discontent through a tweet
(Translation: “For the next match, remember to call the referee, who today didn’t show up.)
The 28-year-old had to sit out of the World Cup after suffering a knee injury by rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in January, and to an extent, he is somewhat right.
According to WhoScored, a total of 54 fouls was committed, beating the previous record of 51, with Brazillian players committing 31 of them. Yet, only four yellow cards were produced throughout the match.
Many observers of the match believed there should have been at least two clear red cards given, and that the referee had lost control of the game.
Juan Zúñiga’s foul on Hulk was one of the many fouls that escaped bookings
Zúñiga’s foul on Neymar that left him injured with a fractured vertebra
Colombia’s James Rodriguez and Cuadrado had suffered the highest number of fouls with six against each.
Following the defeat, Rodriguez told reporters, “We fulfilled all the dreams we had. It's a shame we have to go. I'm crying because we gave everything. Unfortunately, the referee didn't help much. Brazil is a good team, but we gave everything so we are calm. We wanted to carry on, but we hold our heads high. Thank you Colombia."