“Lifetime ban; Unfortunate”- Social media gives mixed reactions after Lauren James gets sent off for stepping over a rival player in 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
The Lionesses hope their star player doesn't miss many games due to suspension.
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Lauren James stamping Micelle Alozie. (Source: GettyImages)
Lauren James had a disaster of a game against Nigeria. The English forward was sent off after she stepped on Michelle Alozie of Nigeria. This reduced the England Lionesses to 10 players against an attacking Nigerian side in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Despite this, the English team tried hard to keep the game level and succeeded to stretch it to the penalties. They eventually prevailed in the penalties, winning 4-2. However, it was not to be for Lauren James. She was criticized by fans on social media for her incident, which became the highlight of the game. Consequently, many were left unhappy with the star who was turning into a crucial cog for England.
James received a pass from midfield in the 87th minute of the match where she was tackled by Michelle Alozie. Both of the players fell to the ground. But the Chelsea star got up and seemed to be stepping on the back of her opponent, who was on the ground. James was initially given a yellow card for her actions.
But upon Nigerian players’ complaints, a VAR check followed. The instance was found to be malicious and the initial yellow card was changed to a red. James was sent off and her moment of madness was compared to David Beckham‘s. He was sent off for a similar reckless challenge against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. However, unlike then, the Lionesses held their nerves and booked their place into the next round.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Lauren James’ recklessness
Many fans criticized James for her actions. People were actually questioning what made her act the way she did. Many of them were displeased, while some even emphasized a stricter punishment for her.
Chiefly, Twitter has divided yet again on such opinions. Some of the fans believed the stamp was accidental, as they believed Lauren destabilized and accidentally stepped on her opponent. There were also some fans who turned the picture of James stamping into a meme.
England will now head into the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals without their star player. They shall be facing either Colombia or Jamaica in this round. Lauren James will miss her next match owing to the red card. But if her punishment is increased by FIFA, then she might miss more games.
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Ark Sharma
(9 Articles Published)