Lauren James experienced a wave of emotions when she stamped on Michelle Alozie during England’s victory over Nigeria in the Women’s World Cup round of 16, according to manager Sarina Wiegman.
The Chelsea forward, who has been a standout with three goals and three assists in the tournament held in Australia, was dismissed after a VAR review in the 87th minute.
Despite the game ending in a goalless draw, the Lionesses secured a 4-2 victory in the penalty shootout.
Wiegman provided a supportive perspective on the incident, calling it a significant lesson for James. The manager highlighted that hurting someone was never her intention and described James as a kind-hearted individual.
The incident occurred late in the game when players were fatigued, and in a split second, James let her emotions get the better of her. She promptly apologized and felt remorseful for her actions.
“It’s a huge lesson for her to learn,” said a supportive Wiegman.
“She would never want to hurt someone. She is the sweetest person I know. It was late in the game so players get a little tired.
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“She is inexperienced on this stage and in a split-second lost her emotions. It isn’t something she did on purpose. She apologised and felt really bad.”
Throughout the group stage, James had been a standout performer, but in the match against Nigeria, a remarkably skilled team, she struggled to make an impact until her unfortunate moment of recklessness.
Surprisingly, the initial punishment for her actions was only a yellow card, but the VAR review led to her dismissal.
Drawing a parallel, BBC commentator Vicki Sparks likened the foul to David Beckham’s infamous incident against Argentina. Beckham, a star midfielder for England, was famously red-carded for kicking out at Diego Simeone during the men’s World Cup round of 16 in 1998.
The aftermath saw Beckham facing heavy criticism, death threats, and even an effigy hung outside a pub. Beckham has expressed gratitude that there was no social media at the time, a sentiment shared by James’ England teammate Jess Carter. Carter emphasized that James has a solid support system around her to guide her through this situation, despite the potentially harsh social media environment.
Due to the red card, the 21-year-old Chelsea forward will be unavailable for the quarter-final match, which will be against either Colombia or Jamaica. FIFA could potentially extend her ban, which might result in her missing additional games. If her suspension is increased by two matches, it would effectively end her tournament participation regardless of how far England progresses.