Vinícius Júnior will be suspended for Brazil’s Copa America quarterfinal clash against Uruguay after receiving a second yellow card of the tournament in the final group stage match against Colombia.
The Real Madrid forward, 23, was cautioned for a foul on James Rodríguez in the early minutes of the match, which Brazil won 1-0. This follows his previous yellow card for a challenge against Paraguay in the 83rd minute of Brazil’s 4-1 victory, where he scored twice.
As a result of the accumulation of yellow cards, Vinícius Júnior will miss Brazil’s quarterfinal encounter against Uruguay on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Brazil’s head coach, Dorival Júnior, commented on the situation: “It happens. It was an important game and I wasn’t going to rest anyone. We started the game very well. It was very strange, the booking. It was the first challenge of the game. But people say we have to learn to play without our big stars, so now is the time. In certain moments, we won’t have important players. We’ve already lost Neymar. It’s a moment for other players to step up.”
Colombia midfielder Jefferson Lerma will also be absent for his side’s next match against Panama due to a similar suspension after receiving his second yellow card of the tournament.
Vinícius Júnior has made 33 appearances for the Brazilian national team and scored five goals. His performance in the group stage, including two goals against Paraguay, has placed him just behind Lautaro Martínez of Argentina in the race for the Golden Boot.
