Juan Guillermo Cuadrado is dismissed from the Colombia national team at the end of the qualifying round

In the last match played by the Colombian National Team against Bolivia, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado had a regular performance. He has been one of the figures of his team, Juventus, and it was hoped that with the national team he would manage to infect his good level to other players. Unfortunately, the Necoclí born has finished his participation with the team in this edition of the South American Qualifiers.

Cuadrado received the yellow card last Thursday and this meant that his presence against Venezuela, next Tuesday, could not be possible. By accumulating cards, the player will lose the match. His absence may cost the team, he is one of the most important men in the squad due to the versatility of his game, but Reinaldo Rueda has insisted that any of the players called up have the necessary level to face the challenges that the tricolor faces today.

In the last few hours, the Colombian Football Federation, through an official statement, reported that former Chelsea, in England, will abandon the national team's concentration in Barranquilla and return to Italy to return to training with his club, which will play on April 3 against Inter Milan for the 31st day of Calcio.

“The coaching staff of the Colombia Men's Senior Team reports that the player Juan Guillermo Cuadrado has been dismissed from the team, after in the match against Bolivia he received a yellow card that disables him to play the next match against Venezuela,” as indicated by the FCF. “We wish the player a good return to his club.”

Cuadrado, along with goalkeeper David Ospina, was the footballer who added the most minutes during these qualifiers with the tricolor shirt. Regular starter since the time of José Pékerman at the helm of the team and even captain in several matches, especially when they were led by the Portuguese Carlos Quieroz. With Rueda it was no exception and today he leaves that space on the squad.

The 33-year-old was called up for the first time in 2010, by Hernán Darío Gomez, and made his debut against Venezuela, precisely, scoring in his team's 2-0 victory. He was part of the squad that reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 Copa América, held in Argentina. His only appearance at that edition of the tournament came in the last match of the group stage against Bolivia, entering by Freddy Guarín in the 50th minute. The team would win by 2-0.

He was included by Pékerman in the final list of 23 players who would compete in the 2014 Brazil World Cup, and was one of the highest performing footballers of his team, being vital to several of the results achieved in the tournament. He scored a goal against Japan, in the group stage, and was a key player in leading the team to the quarterfinals, where they would be the eliminator for Brazil. Cuadrado was the assists leader of that world cup.

In May 2015, he was selected by the Argentine to join the team that would compete in the 2015 Copa América. The national team had a good participation, reaching the quarterfinals, but in this instance they were eliminated by the Argentine team, in a penalty shootout. For the same month, but in 2018, Cuadrado would be included in the list of players who would make up the national team in the Russian World Cup. He started every match and scored the final goal in the 3-0 win against Poland, which would allow the Colombians access to the round of 16, where they would fall to England, also on penalties.

In 2019 he would participate with the Copa América team in Brazil, a tournament that would once again escape coffee growers in the quarterfinals, being eliminated by the Chilean national team. In 2021, he joined the team that fell in the semifinals to Argentina, in that year's Copa America. At that time, Cuadrado reached 100 matches with the national team, becoming the fifth player in the entire history of Colombian football to achieve it.

After the rout against the Bolivianos on the recent qualifying date, Colombia placed sixth in the standings with 21 points and will have to beat Venezuela, while they hope that Peru will not add up to three against Paraguay, to gain access to the repechage. Cuadrado was reprimanded in the 68th minute and left the field at 74th, being replaced by Yairo Moreno.

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