Elizabeth Lambert Adds some UFC to NCAA Soccer, Gets Suspended
There’s playing rough — and then there’s Elizabeth Lambert. The 20-year-old New Mexico University women’s soccer defender is making headlines for her violent behavior during her team’s loss last night against Brigham Young University. She kicks, punches and even yanks a girl’s ponytail so hard that her head jerks back and she collapses to the ground. Check out the gruesome video from ESPN.
What do you guys think? Is this too much, or just part of the game? I think it’s pretty ridiculous. It’s one thing to get rough with your feet when you’re vying for the ball, but to pull someone to the ground when you’re just standing on the field and the ball is nowhere near you? It seems crazy to me.
“Sure, there is jostling off the ball, that’s part of the game of soccer,” said EPSN soccer analyst and gold medalist Julie Foudy, “and in the women’s game, there’s even some hair pulling, yes. But oh my goodness! If you’re going to pull someone’s ponytail and about snap their head off with it, that’s going over the line.”
According to the New Mexico University website, head coach Kit Vela announced today that Elizabeth has been suspended indefinitely for her actions. I guess they weren’t happy with all the negative publicity! I think that’s appropriate, don’t you?
this bitch needs to get her ass beat. no joke.
When I saw that video on the news I immediately ran to the computer to see what action had been taken. Horrible behavior.
I played college soccer, and it could get incredibly heated and physical. Someone once threatened to skin me alive (though never actually laid a hand on me), and I’ve seen punches and bitch-slaps. But these had always been stand-alone retaliative incidents after a period of blood-boiling, contained frustration. Lambert REPEATEDLY put her opponents in physical danger, and only received one yellow card (the hair-pull alone would substantiate an automatic red card), so clearly she was doing it while the refs weren’t looking (though the camera was).
I think a multi-game suspension would be adequate and other formal disciplinary action from the university and the conference, but I do think she should be allowed to play again. I’m sure today, with this story going viral globally, has been one of the most punishing days of her life. If she plays again, she will be under a microscope.
I think suspending her indefinetly is un-called for, bench her for a couple of games. The BYU little instigator was probably what brought Elizabeth over the edge.
Of course the women here claim this as horrible behavior all I have to say is watch some Argentinan soccer. US Soccer is played like they were china in their pants. I’m not claiming all out fighting should take place in soccer (and yes the hair pulling was a bit much) but all the other incidents were within the scope of the game.
If you watch closely, she bumps into and pushes (with her upper body) the BYU player befor the BYU player nudges her with the elbow
it isn’t even just that one pull – in the highlight reel they showed at least five REALLY aggressive moves the girl did in addition to that pony-tail pull down. totally unacceptable.
Ed: [Other than the hair-pulling] “all the other incidents were within the scope of the game.”
I totally disagree, Ed. I watch a lot of soccer, both American and international, and while it can get really rough, that roughness is usually within the scope of play–a hard tackle, taking out ankles instead of the ball, elbows and pushing in the air on a corner kick.
I can’t see the larger context of most of the incidents in the video, but most of Lambert’s actions seemed to be away from the ball, clearly when the ref wasn’t looking (because she would have been red carded if he had been). She was out to be malicious.
Minus some high-profile incidents (the Zidane head-butt comes to mind), most of the crazy stuff that Lambert did is not a normal part of quality soccer.
I think the appropriate actions were taken. Hopefully she doesn’t get picked up by anyone else. Someone like that, has issues. *Anger management please* before she kills someone.
If I were the other girl, I’d sue her ass for neck injuries.
Elizabeth Lambert, you’re an idiot!
this girl was totally out of line and the fact that she wasn’t pulled from the game earlier makes me question the refs…where the hell were they?? she should be banned for life…she’s got serious issues. the refs should be banned as well. hideous sportsmanship along with hideous referees
Elizabeth Lambert’s violent (not just rough) actions against other players can be literally murderous – how’d you like your head pulled back against your spinal column?. It’s plainly even worse than what Tonya Harding had in mind against Nancy Kerrigan years ago just to “win” in ice-skating. “Sorry” doesn’t cut it; there’s something very wrong in her psyche. She doesn’t have to finish college at all, because she can quit and she’d be very welcome at WWF or UFC right now.
That’s one of the most ignorant headlines I’ve seen in awhile. She did not add some “ufc” she assaulted another player. Ufc is the premier organization for skilled mixed martial artists to compete, not a bunch of violent soccer girls. People like you are the reason ufc still has setbacks and negative connotations jackass
I played D1 lacrosse in college and high level hs soccer and i’ve been cut, punched, pinched, bones broken etc. Playing rough in the spirit of competition is one thing, but she wasn’t even trying to gain any advantage with regards to the game with some of the things she was doing namely the hair-pull. she was just being plain nasty and dangerous for the sake of being dangerous. I am sure they will give her an appropriate punishment, but the real punishment is that she’ll be known as “that girl from ESPN” for the rest of her life, and people, no matter if you agree that it was in the spirit of the game or not, will judge her for that, pass her over for jobs because of it and so on, no one would let her coach their kid so kiss working camps goodbye. I know that if i played like that my parents would be so disappointed, and that in itself is a monumental punishment. Once people see that kind of unchecked aggression from you, on TV no less, it’s over.. People respect tough passionate play, but they do not respect that.
Soccer chicks are some of the toughest b*tches out there for sure. Even in local rep leagues, the level of competition is fierce, and the elbows, tackles, pinches and knees are brutal. I think this girl definitely goes over the line, but the reality is that this kind of thing happens in EVERY game on all levels, and it’s often overlooked by refs, coaches and fans.
When I saw this story, I have to admit, part of me was just a little proud of her. Men do even worse things to each other in the name of sports – and it was the ref’s job to shut down her behavior on the pitch. But let’s be fucking honest here, we have all been angry enough to grab a ho by her ponytail and pull as hard as possible. Elizabeth Lambert can undo her negative work by talking to young female soccer players about her actions. But everyone else should STFU. If this was a situation with two guys giving each other the smackdown, nobody would give a fug.
i wouldn’t mind banging her