21-year-old Lauren James recently became the fourth English player to be shown the red card in a World Cup knockout game, following in the footsteps of David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and Millie Bright. Here's a recap, courtesy of the PA news agency, of the English players who faced ejections on the global stage:
David Beckham against Argentina, 1998
In a match level at 2-2, Beckham, then a Manchester United star, retaliated with a petulant kick at Diego Simeone after being brought down. The offence occurred in plain view of the referee, Kim Morten Nielsen. Although England managed to maintain the draw, they bowed out on penalties, and Beckham bore the brunt of blame for the Round of 16 exit.
Wayne Rooney against Portugal, 2006:
In the heat of the battle, Rooney stamped on Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho. Rooney's Manchester United colleague, Cristiano Ronaldo, aggressively demanded action. The referee, Horacio Marcelo Elizondo, after some contemplation, sent Rooney off. England, despite being a man down, forced penalties after a stalemate but were knocked out in the shoot-out.
Millie Bright against the USA, 2019
Bright, already cautioned in the first half for a hefty challenge, fouled USA's Alex Morgan again. This led to her second yellow,
making her the first English woman to receive a red card in a World Cup. England, trailing 2-1 at the time, later lost in the semi-finals. The USA lifted the trophy, while England settled for fourth place.
-Lauren James’s ejection came after a controversial stamp on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie. Initially, she received a yellow, but after a VAR review, it escalated to a red. Unlike previous times, England weathered the storm in extra time to win the ensuing penalty shoot-out and advanced to the quarter-finals.
