Mamoré reach youth final after mass brawl as suspension ruling draws protest

Mamoré have reached the final of the Minas Gerais under-20 second division after Uberlândia withdrew from their semi-final return leg following a mass brawl. Brazilian outlet ge reported that the state federation approved the withdrawal on Wednesday, also confirming Mamoré's promotion to the top division for next season.

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The first leg at Parque do Sabiá ended 3-1 to Mamoré. According to ge's account of the referee's report, fighting followed the visitors' third goal deep into second-half stoppage time. The referee ended the match amid the disorder and recorded dismissals in his report because he could not administer them on the field.

Reuters reported 53 dismissals, including two Uberlândia board members. The breakdown in ge's reporting covered 43 players and eight coaching staff, a total of 51. Uberlândia subsequently said its opponents would have only seven eligible players for the return match and presented its decision to withdraw as an act of fair play.

The cancelled match will nevertheless count towards serving the automatic suspensions, according to ge's reporting on the federation's decision. That allows those dismissed to be selected for the final or third-place match. Uberlândia remain in the competition, with the third-place fixture offering another route to promotion.

That treatment has drawn a formal objection from fellow semi-finalists Aymorés. In a separate report on Thursday, ge said the club challenged both Mamoré's direct passage to the final and the decision to regard the suspensions as completed. Aymorés argued that sporting conduct should not mean an absence of consequences for violence.

Aymorés' complaint highlighted the competitive effects: one team involved in the brawl has secured promotion, while the other can still contest a promotion place with its dismissed players available again. Aymorés lead Villa Nova-MG 1-0 after their own semi-final first leg; the losing side in that tie will face Uberlândia for third place.

The administrative ruling does not close the disciplinary case. Ge reported that the incidents will still be considered by the Minas Gerais sports tribunal, which is responsible for deciding punishments for the two clubs.