De La Cruz confronts referee in bizarre scene during Flamengo’s 2-0 win over Cusco | OneFootball

Flamengo beat Cusco 2-0, yet Nico De La Cruz became the focus of a bizarre second-half moment with referee Derlis López.

According to Coluna Do Fla, López had awarded Flamengo a foul. A Cusco player then went head to head with Bruno Henrique, De La Cruz stepped in and shoved the opponent, and the referee blasted his whistle next to the Uruguayan’s ear to halt the flashpoint.

De La Cruz protested, gesturing to his ear, before Lucas Paquetá pulled him away. Despite the unusual incident, the midfielder was not shown a yellow card.

Having previously missed matches for Flamengo and Uruguay due to altitude, he started in Cusco at 3,400 metres, played 84 minutes and impressed.

Because of load management, De La Cruz is a doubt for Flamengo’s next game against Fluminense in the 11th round of the Brasileirão. After the altitude and a long journey, the team only reached Rio de Janeiro on Thursday night, the 9th.

Initially set for Saturday the 11th, the derby could be moved to Sunday the 12th due to Flamengo’s travel logistics, though kick-off remains 18:30 Brasília time at the Maracanã.

Source: Coluna Do Fla