BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — A Copa Libertadores soccer match between Colombia's Independiente Medellín and Flamengo of Brazil was suspended after just three minutes Thursday and later called off when fans of the Colombian team began lighting flares and throwing objects on to the pitch.
The incident at the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellín was apparently organized as a protest against the local club’s management following poor results in the Colombian league, where Independiente Medellín was eliminated after finishing in 11th place.
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Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin shine laser pointers toward the field as the match against Brazil's Flamengo was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin stand in the grandstands after the match against Brazil's Flamengo was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin light flares as the match against Brazil's Flamengo was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin cheer and light flares during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match between Independiente Medellinin and Brazil's Flamengo in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Players of Colombia's Independiente Medellin and Brazil's Flamengo stand on the field after the match was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Just minutes after the launching of flares and other objects began, referee Jesús Valenzuela ordered the players on both teams to go to their locker rooms while security forces intervened in the stadium. The match was scoreless at the time of the suspension.
More than an hour later, CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football, officially called off the match, which was part of the fourth round of Group A.
The CONMEBOL Disciplinary Code states that when a team is deemed responsible for the suspension, cancellation or abandonment of a match, the game will be awarded to the non-offending team, handing Flamengo a 3-0 win.
During the stoppage, Flamengo player Jorginho posted a message on his X account saying: “We’re fine and waiting here,” along with a photo inside the locker room with his teammates Everton Cebolinha, Ayrton Lucas, Luiz Araújo, Leo Ortiz, and Leo Pereira.
Flamengo, the current Copa Libertadores champion, leads Group A with seven points, one more than Estudiantes de La Plata. Medellín is third with four points.
Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin shine laser pointers toward the field as the match against Brazil's Flamengo was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin stand in the grandstands after the match against Brazil's Flamengo was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin light flares as the match against Brazil's Flamengo was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fans of Colombia's Independiente Medellin cheer and light flares during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match between Independiente Medellinin and Brazil's Flamengo in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Players of Colombia's Independiente Medellin and Brazil's Flamengo stand on the field after the match was temporarily suspended because of crowd trouble during a Copa Libertadores Group A soccer match in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play and Jalen Chatfield added a short-handed goal, keying a special teams effort that helped the Carolina Hurricanes win their seventh straight playoff game, 4-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 on Thursday night.
The Hurricanes — who outshot the Flyers 30-19 —can complete their second straight postseason series sweep in Game 4 on Saturday in Philadelphia.
“Not the prettiest of games for anyone," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It’s kind of been our calling card all year, whatever way the game kind of goes, I think we've been able to adapt to it and figure it out. It says a lot about our group.”
The Hurricanes — coming off a Game 1 shutout and a Game 2 overtime thriller — again rode the hot hand of Frederik Andersen in net to move to the brink of a sweep.
“You need goaltending like that,” Chatfield said. “He's been nothing short of excellent. We know he's going to keep going like that.”
The Flyers, the last team in the East to clinch a playoff spot who then beat Pittsburgh in the first round, had a few sensational early looks at the net but again failed to finish and again failed on the power play. They had the worst power-play efficiency (15.7%) in the NHL this season and did not score with the man advantage in Game 3.
“We're trying,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. “We're trying to get these guys to understand certain things. That's on us. It's on me to try to figure it out, it really is.”
To make it worse, Chatfield scored to make it 2-1 in the second just 11 seconds into the Flyers’ power play with Taylor Hall in the box for boarding.
“My job isn't to be the flashiest guy on the blue line,” Chatfield said. “It's put pucks on the net. Keep it simple. When I get the lane, just rip it on the net.”
The Flyers hit Andersen with 15 shots during 19 minutes of overtime in Game 2 and whiffed on their chance at the win — and perhaps their best shot at making this a competitive series — when Travis Konecny missed a makeable look on a breakaway.
Konecny fired another clean look minutes into Game 3, only for Andersen to knock it away with his pads. Porter Martone, the Flyers’ teen sensation, rang the right side of the post moments later and two great chances at goals meant nothing on the scoreboard.
The Flyers still had a chance on the power play but were stymied and fell at that point to 1 for 12 in the series and 3 for 29 in nine playoff games.
“Lot of sacrifice,” Brind’Amour said at silencing the Flyers' power play.
Brind’Amour was even handed a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Hurricanes were otherwise too playoff tested, too veteran savvy to not capitalize on Philadelphia’s slow start.
Staal punched in a rebound in the first period for the 1-0 lead.
Trevor Zegras, a 26-goal scorer held without a point the previous four games, tied the game for the Flyers from one knee in the second period.
That was it for the Flyers in their first home second-round playoff game since 2012. They went 0 for 5 on the power play while the Hurricanes were 2 of 7.
Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers scored in the third period, the latter of which sent Flyers fans headed toward the exits.
NHL playoff history is still against the Flyers. Only four teams that trailed 3-0 in a seven-game series have come all the way back to win — the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1980 New York Islanders, 2010 Flyers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings.
The Hurricanes are the 13th team to start a postseason 7-0 and eight of the previous 12 won the Stanley Cup.
“It starts in the room with your leadership,” Brind’Amour said.
Through the first three games of the series, 58 penalties have been handed out resulting in a total of 156 penalty minutes.
“Five-on-five, we were good,” Tocchet said. “I thought we were the better team. That's two games in a row. Penalty fest. We're not equipped for that.”
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Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov, left, and Philadelphia Flyers' Trevor Zegras collide during the second period of Game 3 in the second round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' K'andre Miller, left, collides with Philadelphia Flyers' Matvei Michkov during the second period of Game 3 in the second round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker, left, and Philadelphia Flyers' Trevor Zegras collide during the second period of Game 3 in the second round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen, left, blocks a shot past Philadelphia Flyers' Christian Dvorak during the second period of Game 3 in the second round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen, left, blocks a shot as Philadelphia Flyers' Christian Dvorak reaches in during the second period of Game 3 in the second round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
