Post by QPR Report on Feb 21, 2009 8:37:23 GMT
Click to watch Video www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/4734178/Brazilian-goal-celebration-leads-to-a-pitch-brawl-and-seven-red-cards.html
Telegraph - Brazilian goal celebration leads to a pitch brawl and seven red cards
Seven players were sent off after a ferocious brawl sparked by a goal celebration in a Brazilian match.
By Emily Benammar 20 Feb 2009
The fight held up play for a quarter of an hour at the end of Thursday night's game between Brasil and Ulbra in the Rio Grande do Sul championship, one of the regional tournaments which kick off the Brazilian season.
Television pictures showed that trouble broke out when Rogerio Pereira scored the final goal in Ulbra's 5-2 away win and went to celebrate in front of the Brasil supporters.
According to O Globo, Brasil's goalkeeper Danrlei said Pereira made a gesture in his goal celebration imitating Claudio Millar - one of three Brasil players killed in January when the team bus was involved in an accident. Danrlei suggested after the match that Pereira had deliberatley provoked the home fans.
He was attacked by several Brasil players, leading to a fight near the corner flag in which players punched and kicked each other and tripped over the advertising hoardings. Pereira denied any intent to offend.
Reserve players and team officials also joined in while riot police moved onto the field but kept out of the fighting.
At one stage, Brasil president Elder Lopes ran onto the field and was seen aiming a kick at a player.
"I tried to calm our players so that we did not suffer more serious consequences," said Lopes.
"We are already being penalised by what happened and we can't afford to lose more players through injury or suspension." The referee sent off four players from Brasil and three from Ulbra.
Following the tragedy in January Brasil's early matches in the tournament were postponed and they have since taken only three points from eight matches.
