Rafa Silva: Brazilian striker gets red card after three seconds and potentially the quickest in history
A moment of madness has led to a leading striker in a Brazilian league being red-carded and sent from the field of play after only three seconds.
The match on Saturday was stopped after a vicious high elbow strike levelled an opposing player leaving the referee little alternative but to produce the sendoff card.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Cruzeiro’s Rafa Silva left his team one man down in what ended as a 3-0 defeat at Athletico Paranaense after he hit Athletico’s Kaique Rocha slightly below his neck as they challenged for the ball shortly after the kickoff.
Referee Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima duly sent the 32-year-old Cruzeiro player off for one of the earliest red cards in soccer history.
Athletico is fighting against relegation in the Brazilian league and Cruzeiro is seeking one of the top positions to secure a direct berth in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.
The team from Belo Horizonte rested some of its players for the match in the city of Curitiba ahead of the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana at Argentina’s Lanus next week. The first leg ended 1-1.
