Colorado Rapids’ Max Alves implicated in match manipulation scandal, according to report

Colorado Rapids midfielder Max Alves is currently under investigation by Brazilian authorities in relation to an alleged match manipulation scandal in his home country, which grew to include a Rapids game, according to a report from the Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

Alves is among a group of players being investigated for receiving payments from match-fixers, according to the report, which is based on documents obtained by the news outlet from a law enforcement operation titled “Penalidade Maxima II.” As part of the alleged fixing ring, players were asked to perform certain actions in games, such as receiving yellow cards or conceding corner kicks, to generate profits for sports bettors.

Alves has not been charged with a crime, as the investigation is still ongoing, but authorities from the Brazilian Public Ministry in the state of Goiás charged 16 people on Wednesday, including seven players.

The Rapids released the following statement Wednesday night: “We are aware of the reports regarding a Colorado Rapids player in connection with unlawful sports gambling. We take matters of this nature seriously and seek at all times to protect the integrity of the game. The player has been removed from all team activities while MLS conducts an investigation into the matter.”

When contacted by The Post for clarification, a team representative indicated the player in question is Alves.

According to the O Globo report, a spreadsheet from the investigation shows Alves received up to 60,000 Brazilian reais, approximately $12,000, as part of the scheme. The payment was tied to him receiving a yellow card in a match at the L.A. Galaxy on Sept. 17, 2022, according to WhatsApp text messages seized by authorities and obtained by O Globo. Roughly 90 seconds after he stepped onto the field as a second-half substitute in that match, Alves was shown a yellow card.

Currently, Alves is the only player playing outside of Brazil implicated in the scheme. However, the texts obtained by O Globo indicate Alves referred former Houston Dynamo player Zeca to the fixers. That alleged fix was meant for 2022’s Decision Day, Oct. 8, the last day of the MLS regular season.

In the same story, screenshots of the texts from a different conversation between fixers show that Alves appears to be “confirmed” that he is in agreement with alleged ringleader Bruno Lopez two days before the game against the Galaxy. In one text, Lopez messaged, “I just closed with Alves, from MLS, he’s been alternating as a starter and bench. He plays every game, every game. Guaranteed 200% that he comes in and already takes”.

According to Brazilian authorities, the investigation was first launched in November and has been building for a while. There was an additional match-fixing scandal that involved second-division players in late 2022. Across world soccer, it is a serious issue that has only continued to plague the sport, according to a 2022 article from The Athletic.

Alves joined Colorado in January 2022 from Brazilian giants Flamengo, as he signed a four-year deal with an option for a fifth season on an Under-22 Initiative contract. Last season, Alves had a guaranteed salary of $293,360 and has scored twice across all competitions since joining the team.

It’s not clear if he will play this weekend at home against Philadelphia Union.

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