England’s Lauren James will miss the quarter-final and a potential semi-final of the World Cup after being banned for two matches by world football governing body FIFA for misconduct.
James was sent off after she stood on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie in England’s last-16 victory.
The 21-year-old’s initial yellow card was upgraded to a red card after a review by VAR, with James the first Lioness to be sent off under Sarina Wiegman.
FIFA rules state that players are automatically banned for one game – meaning James misses England’s quarter-final against Colombia on Saturday.
She will also now miss the semi-final, should England get there, after FIFA extended the suspension.
James apologised on social media after Alozie herself had responded to the incident, saying she had ‘all respect for Lauren James.’
The Chelsea forward replied: “All my love and respect to you. I am sorry for what happened. Also, for our England fans and my teammates, playing with and for you is my greatest honour and I promise to learn from my experience.”
The dismissal had echoes of David Beckham’s and Wayne Rooney’s red cards from the 1998 and 2006 World Cups respectively – England’s standout young star and player of the tournament so far stopped in their tracks by a moment of madness.
But England boss Wiegman says despite emotions getting the better of the 21-year-old, James never intended for the incident to happen.
“It was a moment of a split-second and it was later in the game so players also get a little tired. She is an inexperienced player on this stage and has done really well,” she said after the game on Monday.
“And I think, in a split-second, she just lost her emotions. And, of course, she does not want to hurt anyone. She is the sweetest person I know.
“Yet then things happen like that and you cannot change it any more. So it is a huge lesson for her to learn, but it is not something that she really did on purpose.
“It happens sometimes with human beings – that you are in such an intense game, such an emotional game and, in a split-second, she lost her emotions.
“She apologised and she felt really, really bad and absolutely she does not want to hurt anyone.”
First published in Skysports.com