Liverpool’s Luis Diaz on receiving end of horror tackle as mass brawl mars Colombia win

Luis Diaz scored his 100th career goal in Colombia’s 3-0 friendly win over Bolivia – but the Liverpool star was also on the receiving end of a horror tackle that prompted a mass brawl

Luis Diaz suffered a gruelling tackle in Colombia’s 3-0 friendly win against Bolivia on Saturday evening that spawned a mass brawl and two red cards.

The Liverpool winger supplied a goal and an assist in the comfortable 3-0 victory for his country in Connecticut, USA, in preparation for the summer’s Copa America. Diaz’s strike was a landmark one as well, with the Colombian international registering his 100th goal for club and country.

Diaz was at his scintillating best on the night,setting up Jhon Cordoba for Colombia’s second goal of the game before getting his own name on the scoresheet. The tricky winger received the ball on the edge of the box, then eluded three defenders before finishing into the corner.

But an affair that was friendly only in name descended into chaos after the break when Diaz was on the receiving end of a horrific, two-footed studs up challenge from Hector Cuellar in the 67th minute. The Bolivian right-back crunched into Diaz from behind, leaving Diaz rolling on the grass in agony.

From there, scenes became more unsavoury as a mass brawl broke out, with players on both sides engaging in the melee.

Despite the horrendous nature of the challenge, Cuellar would walk away with relative impunity, having only received a yellow card for the infraction. However, both teams eventually finished the game with 10 men, as Daniel Munoz and Cesar Menacho were sent off for their heavy-handed involvement in the fracas.

Diaz, meanwhile, was okay to continue following the challenge. The Reds star completed just under 80 minutes before being replaced by Santiago Arias.

While the challenge and subsequent scrap marred the occasion, Diaz was also at the centre of a heart-warming moment earlier in the match. Play was interrupted after a young boy ran onto the pitch and embraced Diaz. The boy burst into tears after meeting the Liverpool star before being escorted off the pitch.

Colombia’s next match will be against Paraguay on June 24 as their Copa America campaign gets underway. Colombia’s group also includes Costa Rica and Brazil.

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