Brazilian club Flamengo will not play a third-place consolation match at Major League Soccer’s GA Cup youth tournament after two players on its under-17 team earned red cards for using banned terms and an assistant coach was also ejected, MLS said in a statement.

The incidents occurred in a semifinal of the tournament’s U-17 division and were followed by an argument after the game between the two sides away from the field.

A video of the altercation made its way to social media.

Things got heated after Philadelphia Union’s U-17s beat Flamengo 2-0 to advance to their 2nd consecutive GA Cup Final

A number of incidents have occurred during this tournament that probably should have been handled more appropriately pic.twitter.com/NeahQljdKx

— Jimmy King (@Jimmyking35) April 7, 2024

MLS immediately began investigating the situation and said in its statement on Sunday that it was “deeply concerned and upset” about this and other instances of on-field abuse of players at the Generation Adidas (GA) Cup this week.

“This behavior is entirely unacceptable, violates the rules of the competition, and our collective effort to ensure a respectful and inclusive environment for all,” the league said, adding that it has already begun an “extensive review” of existing protocols and training programs for participating clubs, which could include “the adoption of best practices from MLS first-team competitions.”

Philadelphia beat Flamengo 2-0, advancing to the U-17 final against the LA Galaxy. That match will take place on Sunday. Flamengo was scheduled to face the San Jose Earthquakes in the third-place match today at 2:30 p.m. ET. That game will not happen.

GO DEEPER

Red Bulls depart youth tourney due to alleged racial abuse

The news comes days after the New York Red Bulls departed the tournament early after two separate on-field racist incidents involving their U-17 team in games against CF Monterrey and Hajduk Split. The U-17 team had consolation games left that they chose not to play in, while the Red Bulls U-15 team had a quarterfinal they also opted not to play in out of solidarity.

“There is no room for discrimination around competitive play,” the Red Bulls said in a statement Friday. “As an organization, we stand together with our players on and off the pitch.”

According to a source with knowledge of the process who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, MLS Next required all participating teams to review anti-discrimination policy, including banned terms, before the tournament. MLS Next had individual calls with all clubs, as well.

The GA Cup is a premier youth soccer tournament organized by MLS, featuring all 29 MLS academies plus select others, including clubs from abroad. Manchester United, Arsenal and River Plate were among the international clubs to join this year along with Flamengo, CF Monterrey and Hajduk Split.

(Photo: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)