Rangers star Alfredo Morelos missed out completely as Colombia suffered late heartbreak in a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the Copa America.
The Ibrox striker wasn’t even named on the bench against the Selecao as Luis Diaz had Colombia 1-0 up against the hosts with a stunning bicycle kick.
Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino would net an equaliser with only twelve minutes to go, sparking wild protests from the Colombia team due to the ball hitting the referee just moments earlier.
The Argentine referee Nestor Pitana – who reffed the 2018 World Cup Final – put his whistle to his lips but failed to blow as Firmino headed home.
VAR allowed the goal to stand after a lengthy stoppage which painfully came back to haunt Los Cafeteros as Casemiro netted home for a poorly defended corner in the 10th minute of injury time.
Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado called out the decision post-match, describing the moment as “sad” and claiming Colombia “never got past that play” [BBC Sport].
Interestingly, River Plate striker Rafael Santos Borre was preferred to Morelos in the match, something which suggests the Rangers-linked striker has usurped Alfie’s place in the team.
Morelos had ten caps going into the tournament to Borre’s three but the River Plate striker has started two of the nation’s four Copa America matches so far.
Rangers star Morelos’ only appearance at the competition so far has been a nine-minute cameo off the bench against Peru.
Speaking of Santos Borre, here’s what River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo had to say regarding the decision taken on the player’s future with his contract running down.
