Rapids suspend player linked to international match fixing probe

The Colorado Rapids launched a slick new secondary kit on Wednesday, the first jersey that was co-designed by a local artist in MLS history

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

May 11, 2023, 12:02 PM Updated: Jun 30, 2026, 3:12 pm

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The Colorado Rapids say they’ll be doing things without Max Alves for the time being, the midfielder has been connected to an alleged unlawful sports gambling probe by the Brazilian government.

pic.twitter.com/q3fwWcDhew

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) May 11, 2023

The scandal broke Wednesday when a report from the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, alleged a match manipulation scandal in Alves’ native land, which eventually included a Rapids game.

The operation was named “Penalidade Maxima II,” and included a group of players receiving payments from match-fixers, per the report. The plan was from the alleged rigging ring had players do certain things in games from getting fouls to cards to profit bettors.

According to the Denver Post, Alves has not been charged with a crime, but authorities from the Brazilian Public Ministry in the state of Goiás charged 16 people on Wednesday, including seven players.

Alves is the only player at this time outside of Brazil involved in the operation, but there are texts in the newspaper report which show that this may expand to other MLS teams.

Those texts received by O Globo show Alves got about $12,000 for getting a yellow card in a match against the L.A. Galaxy on Sept. 17, 2022.

Here's the yellow card in question.

Happened a minute and a half after Max was subbed into the game, though the foul itself seems pretty innocuous to me. https://t.co/RGZlsiJV9h pic.twitter.com/japVvnOVee

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) May 10, 2023

Alves joined Colorado in 2022 from big Brazilian club Flamengo, signing a four-year deal. Alves has netted two goals for the squad since coming to Colorado.

It seems unlikely that Alves will play this weekend against the Philadelphia Union.
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