In relation to his alleged involvement with "illegal sports gambling," the Colorado Rapids have suspended a player from all club operations, the team and Major League Soccer (MLS) said Wednesday night.
Multiple reports identified the player as striker Max Alves, who supposedly paid $12,000 for receiving a yellow card in a game against the LA Galaxy last year, however neither organisation named him in a statement.
The Colorado Rapids were "aware of the reports regarding a Colorado Rapids player in connection with unlawful sports gambling," according to the team's statement. We take situations of this sort seriously and work hard to uphold the fairness of the game at all times. The player has been suspended from all team activities as MLS looks into the situation.
Similar to this, MLS said that it would investigate illegal gambling "promptly" and added that a former player, only known in sources as former Houston Dynamo striker Zeca, is also allegedly implicated.
The accusations were made after 16 people, including seven professional soccer players, were accused with match-fixing by Brazilian prosecutors in the state of Goias on Wednesday. On Wednesday, five players received suspensions from their Brazilian teams.
Alves was allegedly given $12,000 to receive a yellow card in a match against the Galaxy on September 17, 2022, by a group led by a Brazilian businessman, according to a report by O Globo in Brazil, which connected him to the probe. About 90 seconds after entering the game as a substitute, he received a yellow card for a serious foul.
O Globo also highlighted text conversations that showed Alves connected Zeca with the organisation handling the funds.
Alves, a Brazilian-born player who has played in 12 games for Colorado this season, began for the Rapids in a 3-1 win over the Galaxy on Saturday. Before the 2022 season, the 21-year-old player transferred from the Brazilian club Flamengo to the group.
Zeca, 28, played 20 times for Houston during his lone MLS season in 2022. When Houston turned down his contract option during the winter, he signed with EC Vitria, a lower-level Brazilian team.
The Major League Soccer has dealt with players who are reportedly involved in gambling before. Felipe Hernández, a midfielder for Sporting Kansas City, was suspended two years ago after telling the team he was concerned for his safety due to gambling debts. He was reinstated for the 2022 season and is still playing for Sporting KC following an investigation.
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