Colombia coach Jose Pekerman has claimed that Juan Cuadrado did not deserve to be sent off during Friday's friendly defeat to Brazil.

The winger was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Neymar early in the second half in Miami before the Brazil forward scored a late winner for his team.

While admitting that their opponents deserved the victory, Pekerman believes that Colombia's chances of a positive result were hampered by Cuadrado's dismissal.

"I believe that Cuadrado's red card damaged our chances and it showed. I think it wasn't a foul worthy of a sending-off," he is quoted as saying by Goal.com. "We were looking for the equaliser and our play was conditioned by that. In the end Brazil deserved to win."

Colombia return to action on October 7 when they face Ecuador in a friendly.

Written by
Jack Prescott