Lauren James of England will be sidelined for both the upcoming quarter-final and a potential semi-final of the World Cup, following a two-match ban imposed by FIFA.
The decision followed an incident in which James received a red card for stepping on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie during England’s last-16 victory.
Initially issued a yellow card, the red card was subsequently handed down after a VAR review. This marked the first time a Lioness player was sent off under the leadership of Sarina Wiegman.
FIFA regulations dictate an automatic one-game suspension for players in such circumstances, rendering James ineligible for England’s quarter-final against Colombia scheduled for Saturday.
Moreover, FIFA has chosen to extend the suspension, implying that should England advance to the semi-final, James will also be unable to participate.
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Following the incident, James took to social media to express her apologies, particularly addressing Alozie’s response.
The Chelsea forward stated, “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 honor 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.”
