Multiple members of the Brazil national team earned red cards Tuesday during a game against the U.S. Two Brazilian players were shown red cards during the game, and two more were shown red after the final whistle. Brazil head coach Arthur Elias was also given a red card earlier in the second half and was sent off, along with several members of his staff.
After the match, the referees lined up for the usual postmatch handshakes flanked by two security officers with plastic shields.
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The U.S. battled its way through the highly physical second and final meeting with Brazil during this international window to claim a 1-0 victory at the Arena Castelão in Fortaleza, wrapping up its trip to the 2027 World Cup host country. It was the team’s first win against Brazil in Brazil since 1997.
“My job is to have respect for the officials,” Emma Hayes said in a news conference after the match. “My job is to make sure I stay in my technical area. There is only one person allowed to stand. And my job is to be a role model for my players, to display the behaviors to them that I want from them.”
After a 2-1 loss to Brazil on Saturday night, the U.S.’s response was overshadowed by the final 10 minutes of the match.
Sophia Wilson nearly scored her second goal since becoming a mother in the 63rd minute of the match, battling her way from the touchline toward the penalty before firing a right-footed shot that deflected off a Brazilian defender before skidding past Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena. Though the goal stood, it was labeled an own goal on Brazil defender Isabela. Wilson scored the lone goal for the U.S. in their Saturday night fixture against Brazil in São Paulo.
It was a fitting result that reflected the vein-popping tension and absurdity of the game. The energy, particularly in the first half, felt like a continuation of the high-octane duel from Saturday, full of crunching tackles and booming cheers from the 55,744 fans who packed the stadium. What transpired at the end of the match was less about football and more about an eruption of pressure and passion between two top-ranked teams with a lengthy history and much at stake.
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The U.S. entered the game having lost its last two matches against Brazil on April 8, 2025 and this past Saturday, June 6 — the first time they lost to the same team back-t0-back since 2011. Brazil, who were ranked sixth in the world by FIFA heading into this match, will be the first South American country to host a Women’s World Cup. They last lost a major tournament final to the U.S. in the gold medal match of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
As she did after the first match in Sao Paulo, Hayes praised the Brazilian supporters in Fortaleza, calling it “a very, very … fantastic environment with a very noisy crowd. They bring a lot of energy.”
Around the 30th minute, Brazil and San Diego Wave forward Dudinha collided with USWNT center back Emily Sonnett and went down with an injury that required her to be stretchered off the pitch. She was replaced by Bia Zaneratto, a former Current player who scored the go-ahead goal against the U.S. on Saturday. Zaneratto was one of the four players who earned a red card along with Kerolin, Tarciane and Ludmila.
Somehow, despite the severely disrupted flow of the match, there were still standout performances on both sides. Lorena kept Brazil in the game with six impeccable saves, including one double-save from two back-to-back U.S. shots on goal from forwards Emma Sears and Wilson in the first half.
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Michelle Cooper, who started the game as a right winger for the U.S., played the second half as a fullback, a new position for her on the national team. Her strength, pace, and ability to get involved in the USWNT attack proved hugely advantageous on both sides of the ball; she kept step with Brazil’s physicality in their offensive efforts and helped create an overload when the U.S. had the ball. Brazil did not record a shot on target in the game.
Tuesday night’s win brings the U.S. record against Brazil in their home territory to 3-3-2. Hayes has spoken at length about the importance of exposing USWNT players to Brazil’s uniquely passionate sporting environment, and while the South American side brought impressive numbers to both matches, this U.S. win will be remembered far more for its astounding disciplinary actions.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
US Women’s national team, Soccer, NWSL, Women’s Soccer
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