United States manager Emma Hayes said she had “an experience I will never forget” after her side’s bad-tempered 1-0 win over Brazil in Fortaleza saw the home team handed eight red cards.
Brazil head coach Arthur Elias and three members of his staff were dismissed towards the end of the second half before police in riot gear surrounded the match officials on the pitch at full-time after further flashpoints.
In front of a crowd of 55,744, forward Bia Zaneratto was sent off in added time for a second yellow card before teammate Tarciane was ordered off for elbowing US forward Sophia Wilson.
Kerolin was red-carded after the final whistle when she confronted referee Paola Cebollada Lopez. Ludmila then suffered the same fate, for sarcastically applauding the Spanish official Paola Cebollada López.
“To say that it was a game of battles, that’s one way to describe it,” Hayes said after the match. “To come and play in Brazil and win in Brazil, I think, is extremely tough.
“The crowd create the conditions to make it difficult but this is what it is, and what I am certain of is that when the World Cup comes here next year with Fifa, there will be very clear behavioural expectations for all of us, which there should be. It’s a global game.
“We are excited, if we qualify, to come back here because, as I have said many times, I have a lot of respect for Brazil and it was an experience I will never forget.”
Brazil will host the Women’s World Cup for the first time next year.
After the post-match fracas, Marta spoke to a reporter from SporTV in her native Portuguese, with a level of disdain for the officiating that came through clearly without any translation.
“She’s the one who wanted to be the main character of the show,” Marta said, according to an online translation. “A crowd like that comes to watch a game, only for her to pull a stunt like that. I’m sorry, but this kind of officiating simply cannot happen – especially in a match between Brazil and the United States.”
Kerolin took to the social media platform X shortly after reaching the locker room to add to the criticism of how the match was officiated.
“This is ridiculous,” reads the English translation of her post. “It was supposed to be a HELL OF A GAME!!!! But the SPANISH officiating… They made a point of ruining the match!!!”
Kerolin also shared a clip of Bia’s sendoff, asking her followers whether it should have been a red card.
Wilson’s match-winner was ultimately credited as an own goal after her shot deflected off defender Isabela Chagas past the wrongfooted Lorena in the 63rd minute. Wilson scored her 25th international goal in a 2-1 loss to the same Brazilian side in São Paulo on Saturday.
