RiO DE JANEIRO. Apr 3: Brazils referees have been ordered to clamp down on players performing elab-

orate dance routines to celebrate coring a goal, reporta Reuter

In the past month Brazil has been swept by a craze in which players celebrate by forming a group and then performing choreographed routines, some of questionable taste

Four Flamengo players performed a routine on Sunday which would not have been out of place at the Moulin Rouge In Parts.

Corinthians players have introduced various style. Including the kangaroo dance, In which they hope In time down the pitch one after the other In a line. Another Corinthians routine resembles a rain dance

Unlao Sao Joao players celebrated a recent goal by lining up and then going through a series of crab-like movements

Other celebrations Include dancing the lambada with the corner flag and "telephone celebrations. where the pla yer picks up the public tele Shone which most stadiums ave behind the goal and pretends to make a call

But Brazilian Football Confederations refereeing di rector Ivan Mendes said refer ec* had been told to class such celebrations as ungentlemanly conduct and punish offenders with the yellow card

They keep inventing new things If we do not call a halt, there s no telling where this might stop "

VASCO UNDERMINED

Meanwhile Vasco da Gama lost a 34 -match unbeaten re cord In the Rio de Janeiro Championship when they went down to a surprise 1 O defeat against Americano on the provincial teams notorious pitch.

Vasco were simply unable to play their normal game on Americanos bumpy pot holed field and there were so many long «kk» upheld than the ac tton at times bore more re-semblance to rugby than soc

cer

Americano forward Pellca scored the vital goal at the end of the first half and the second half waa marred by constant time-wasting by Americano players.

The minor teams in the competition are often accused of deliberately keeping their pitches in poor condition to prevent more skillful teams from playing well.

Brazilian veteran Junior launched an attack on the state of pitches after twisting and ankle 1n one of the holes on the same Americano pitch 18 months ago

It was Vasco's first defeat in the competition since November 1991.