Argentina’s 12-game unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday when the world champions fell to a 2-1 defeat by Colombia in Barranquilla.

Without injured captain Lionel Messi, Argentina mustered only one shot on target.

It resulted in Nicolas Gonzalez finding the net in the 48th minute to tie the contest after Yerson Mosquera’s first-half opener. But Colombia took all three points in the World Cup qualifier after James Rodriguez scored the winning goal from a penalty kick on the hour.

Meanwhile, Cristian Romero hit back at the Colombia fans who had given he and his Argentina team-mates a rough ride as the Tottenham defender stroked the golden World Cup winners’ badge on his shirt.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni then had plenty to say in a spicy post-match press conference.

Scaloni offered his congratulations to Colombia but vented his frustration at the referee’s decision to award a penalty for Nicolas Otamendi’s sliding challenge on Daniel Munoz following a VAR review.

The Argentina boss also suggested that Colombia had repeatedly and successfully wasted time after going 2-1 up.

On the penalty, Scaloni said: ‘It hurts us, the only thing I said to him [the referee’s assistant], which I also said to Munoz, was that he was the only player who did not protest. Good for them, it is sad, regrettable, that after the penalty the match was practically not played.

‘What bothered me? If I have to focus on something, it’s that penalty play. I don’t just focus on the penalty. And what Munoz did tells you everything, he didn’t protest at any point.

‘It’s fine, good for his team, that’s what I told him and he laughed, but well, the penalty obviously gave them a psychological push and it hit us, but even so we had the chance to tie it.’

On the subject of VAR, he added: ‘I would like to see that improved, the first image the referee sees should not be the one in which it appears that he touched the ball. He should see them all, it conditions the referee, that’s what I think, these are things that I’m not going to change, but I do think it’s something that needs to be changed, that they show him the start of the play, the whole thing, but well, I repeat, it’s not an excuse.’ 

Scaloni then criticised the decision to hold the match at 3.30pm, rather than later in the day when the temperature was lower. 

He said: ‘The timing of the match is not good, it could have been played at 5, 6, 7. I don’t think it’s healthy for the footballers to develop their potential.

‘The heat is the same for both, that’s how it is, but it’s clear that the conditions for watching a spectacle are not good. Above all, for two teams that are so high in the standings, but that’s no excuse.

‘They won, we congratulate them, there are times when the analysis of a very close match is decided by plays, that’s what happened, we did the most difficult thing, the penalty decided the match when we were at our best.

‘They have good players, it’s not just the dead ball, they have great footballers, they have their operation well-oiled, they do it well and we must congratulate them.’

Scaloni also had a message for the Colombia fans who created a hostile atmosphere for his players.

He said: ‘The people of Barranquilla were cheering on their team, we had a good reception at the hotel, but when we arrived at the stadium the friendship disappeared a bit, but they are happy because we won the World Cup and that is something to be thankful for.’

Despite Tuesday’s defeat, Argentina remain top of South America’s World Cup qualifying table after eight rounds of fixtures.