Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SAO PAULO — A Brazilian soccer player was sent off in a top flight division match on Saturday for hitting a rival with his elbow just three seconds into a match. Cruzeiro's Rafa Silva left his team one man down in what ended in a 3-0 defeat at Athletico Paranaense. Silva hit Athletico's Kaique Rocha slightly below his neck as they challenged for the ball shortly after kick off. Referee Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima immediately sent the 32-year-old Cruzeiro player off for one of the earliest red cards in soccer history.
