Cruzeiro star picks up red card THREE SECONDS from kick-off in Brazilian top flight
Cruzeiro's Rafa Silva received a red card just three seconds after kick-off, during a Brazilian Serie A match against Athletico Paranaense.
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Cruzeiro star Rafa Silva received a red card just three seconds after kick-off, in a Brazilian Serie A match. (via ESPN)
Brazilian Serie A side Cruzeiro were down to ten men just three seconds after kick-off during a 3-0 defeat to Athletico Paranaense. Rafa Silva made history by becoming one of the fastest players to receive a red card during a top-division football encounter.
Cruzeiro’s Rafa Silva left his team reeling with a player down for the rest of the 90 minutes of the match against the home side. He was sent off for hitting Athletico’s Kaique Rocha with his elbow just below his neck while challenging for the ball, just three seconds after kick-off.
This turned him infamous for being one of the quickest send offs in football history, as referee Rodrigo Jose Pereira de Lima showed the 32-year-old forward a straight red card, despite appeals.
Rafa Silva’s early dismissal affected the morale of the Cruzeiro side, who went on to suffer a disastrous 3-0 defeat from 15th-placed Paranaense. The home side also lost the opportunity to climb up the league table and are in the eighth position with 46 points from 30 matches.
Meanwhile, Silva’s red card could not eclipse the fastest dismissal in the history of the sport. Ex-Sheffield United player Keith Gillespie holds the record for being sent off after zero seconds, while playing against Reading in 2007.
Rafa Silva of Cruzeiro has been red carded within FIVE seconds of the game! ?
— Ginga Bonito ?? (@GingaBonitoHub) October 26, 2024
Surely the fastest red card in Brasileirão history? pic.twitter.com/C6YEkOkGVI
Rafa Silva is set to miss out on his side’s upcoming Serie A encounter against Flamengo, on 6 November. Before that, Cruzeiro will face off against Argentine club Lanus, in the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana semi-final, after having drawn the first leg 1-1.
Brazilian Serie A ranks among the strongest national leagues in the world
A survey conducted by Opta most recently named the Brazilian Serie A as one of the strongest national leagues in the world, trailing only behind Europe’s top leagues. The South American league, which is in its 87th year, has grown in terms of popularity and financial prowess.
The Opta study ranked the Brazilian league in the sixth position, just behind the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, the German Bundesliga, the Spanish La Liga and the French Ligue 1. Its success has been attributed to the rise of several prominent stars from the very league, which include Real Madrid starlets Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo and Endrick, among many others.
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— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 18, 2024
Hurrah, the international break is over!
With club football very much back on the agenda, have a look at which domestic leagues rank high in the Opta Power Rankings…
?https://t.co/Z67kXKbZLj pic.twitter.com/VWB7jiBh07
Moreover, the other major reason for the league’s success has been Al-Hilal star Neymar Jr., who once played for Brazilian Serie A giants Santos. The 32-year-old ex-Barcelona forward most recently made his return from a season-long ACL injury.
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Siddhartha Roy
(700 Articles Published)