The friendly game produced eight red cards
United States women’s national team manager Emma Hayes described her side’s fiery friendly against Brazil as “an experience I will never forget” after a dramatic encounter in Fortaleza ended with eight red cards being issued to players and staff.
The USA secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a strike from Sophia Wilson that took a deflection off Brazilian defender Isabela Chagas.
Tensions escalated late in the match as Brazil head coach Arthur Elias and three members of his backroom staff were dismissed by referee Paola Cebollada Lopez.
The situation worsened in stoppage time when Brazilian forward Bia Zaneratto received a second yellow card for pushing Emily Sonnett, while teammate Tarciane was sent off for elbowing Wilson.
After the final whistle, further confrontations saw Kerolin and Ludmila both shown red cards as tempers boiled over. Riot police entered the pitch to protect match officials and restore order.
More than 55,000 spectators attended the match at Arena Castelão, one of the venues set to host matches during next year’s Women’s World Cup.
Hayes acknowledged the challenging atmosphere but praised her team’s resilience. The former Chelsea manager noted that international tournaments require high standards of conduct and expressed excitement about potentially returning to Brazil for the World Cup, highlighting her respect for the host nation despite the chaotic scenes.