Soccer Player Suspended for Pulling Hair

[KAMLEM]

Did anyone see this story? I have never seen anything like it in my life, and I have seen a lot of soccer. This girl should never be allowed to play college or professional soccer again. Hopefully the link will work.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/elizabeth-lambert-new-mex_n_349234.html

This is the video I was looking for originally, it's even longer and nastier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Piuuqqs10

 

[RunningGirl]

Her response:

"I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary," Lambert said. "This is in no way indicative of my character or the soccer player that I am. I am sorry to my coaches and teammates for any and all damages I have brought upon them.

"I am especially sorry to BYU and the BYU women's soccer players that were personally affected by my actions. I have the utmost respect for the BYU women's soccer program and its players."​

She should never step foot on a soccer field again. And don't tell me it's "out of character". Please. Heated situations reveal true character.

 

[momrek06]

Her response:

"I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary," Lambert said. "This is in no way indicative of my character or the soccer player that I am. I am sorry to my coaches and teammates for any and all damages I have brought upon them.

"I am especially sorry to BYU and the BYU women's soccer players that were personally affected by my actions. I have the utmost respect for the BYU women's soccer program and its players."​

She should never step foot on a soccer field again. And don't tell me it's "out of character". Please. Heated situations reveal true character.

Someone that plays dirty like she did, does not talk like that....someone wrote this statement out for her and she recited it. PERIOD.

 

[KAMLEM]

There are longer videos out there that show her hitting a girl in the face, tripping, kicking, whatever she needs to do. I don't think she would know how to play a clean game. She obviously has some anger issues.

My DD plays varsity soccer and some teams are trained to play like this, though not this bad. She had a playoff game the other night and came off the field with a black eye. A few other girls were hurt, too. I think the refs are to blame many times. They just call a foul and the game goes on. They need to take these players out of the game or they won't learn. It takes someone really getting hurt for them to react.

 

[KAMLEM]

Someone that plays dirty like she did, does not talk like that....someone wrote this statement out for her and she recited it. PERIOD.

You're probably right.

 

[agnes!]

Pretty nasty stuff. Looks like both players in this hair-pulling were rough, but where was the RED card? The ref only issued a yellow? *Really*?!? I must say, the hair-puller plays like a true thug.

This link has more footage of the various incidents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEobeNfGcc

agnes!

 

[jen0610]

We have seen the the video several times over the last few days. Once while we were sitting in the bar eating at TGIFridays. When the clip came on, you could hear several different tables talking about it. The vast majority were in agreement that any one of the players she inflicted pain to, should have gotten up and knocked her lights out.

We did hear someone say that the one BYU player that she punched in the back deserved it, because she elbowed the girl first. It does look like the BYU player pushed back with her elbow, but not with enough force to warrent any type of retaliation.

She needs to be removed from the team, for good and no pro or semi-pro team should ever put her on their roster.

 

[Heidict]

It's a game. It's gonna get ruff, but she was just playing dirty. Punching people in the back and in the face? My goodness, she snapped that girls head back and about ripped it off.

She doesn't need to be suspended for this though.

She needs to be banned. She has the utmost respect for the BYU players? She is an idiot and needs to look for a job where she doesn't come into contact with people.

 

[JessicaR]

My husband and I saw this yesterday on the news. They didnt play a very long clip but it was long enough to show how brutal she was.

 

[KAMLEM]

We did hear someone say that the one BYU player that she punched in the back deserved it, because she elbowed the girl first. It does look like the BYU player pushed back with her elbow, but not with enough force to warrent any type of retaliation.

The NM girl was on top of the BYU girl so I think that's why she elbowed her. Not that it's right, but players give little jabs like that all the time, it definitely doesn't warrant a punch in the back.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I have never seen anything like it in my life, and I have seen a lot of soccer. This girl should never be allowed to play college or professional soccer again.

Ditto.

There are longer videos out there that show her hitting a girl in the face, tripping, kicking, whatever she needs to do. I don't think she would know how to play a clean game. She obviously has some anger issues.

My DD plays varsity soccer and some teams are trained to play like this, though not this bad. She had a playoff game the other night and came off the field with a black eye. A few other girls were hurt, too. I think the refs are to blame many times. They just call a foul and the game goes on. They need to take these players out of the game or they won't learn. It takes someone really getting hurt for them to react.

I agree with everything you said. My DS's HS team had some drama this season with anger issues, but nothing that got physical, and I felt that THEY should have received harsher punishment.

We did hear someone say that the one BYU player that she punched in the back deserved it, because she elbowed the girl first.

No excuse.

 

[agnes!]

We have seen the the video several times over the last few days. Once while we were sitting in the bar eating at TGIFridays. When the clip came on, you could hear several different tables talking about it. The vast majority were in agreement that any one of the players she inflicted pain to, should have gotten up and knocked her lights out.

We did hear someone say that the one BYU player that she punched in the back deserved it, because she elbowed the girl first. It does look like the BYU player pushed back with her elbow, but not with enough force to warrent any type of retaliation.

She needs to be removed from the team, for good and no pro or semi-pro team should ever put her on their roster.

I didn't see it live but I took a good look at the ESPN footage. Yeah, that one player elbowed her and there was a lot of jostling, but then I started thinking about which person could inflict the most amount of damage...the person who is throwing an elbow somewhat blindly back where the player who's receiving can evade a possible blow or the person who can SEE where the blow will land and aims that blow with forethought upon a player in their clear view.

I have to wonder...
if these two teams have a history of this type of play against all opponents
if they had a history of this type of play specifically against each other
and
I think maybe the New Mexico team wasn't used to the BYU team's level of expertise so they resorted to the lowest level of playing skill possible.

agnes!
PS - She should be concerned that the hair-pulled player doesn't have any long-lasting head/neck issues, that was a neck-snap worthy of the NFL where the players have much more protection.

 

[LindaR]

My daughter goes to UNM........and between this girl and the recent "incident" with the football coach.........

She is SO sick of hearing about this. It took them a while before they suspended her.......I think if it had not gone national, then they would have done nothing!

 

[Beezle2]

We did hear someone say that the one BYU player that she punched in the back deserved it, because she elbowed the girl first. It does look like the BYU player pushed back with her elbow, but not with enough force to warrent any type of retaliation.>>>>


The blonde girl from BYU elbowed her first, she didn't just "push" back with her elbow. Starting crap with someone who might be twice as mean as you thought, turned out to be a bad idea. She really got clobbered there in the end.

She really deserved the suspensions for the hair pulling on the brunette girl and the tripping though.

 

[AshleyW]

Pretty nasty stuff. Looks like both players in this hair-pulling were rough, but where was the RED card? The ref only issued a yellow? *Really*?!? I must say, the hair-puller plays like a true thug.

This link has more footage of the various incidents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEobeNfGcc

agnes!

That's what I was thinking, too. I played in high school and managed to get a red card once - and it was definitely for a LOT less than how nasty this girl was.

 

[dawson5]

I know at first glance it is bad but then when you see repeated showings of it, you tend to pick up on more of it. I'm not saying what she did was right or that someone deserved it, but it appears there is more to this than what the media is focusing on. Notice before she pulls the girls hair, what the girl is doing to her. I am a female, I don't know if I would react with the ferocity that she did, but I know I would not take to kindly to someone pulling my shorts up into my privates--that can be downright uncomfortable/painful. Yes she seems to over-react but we only saw clips of what they (media) chose to show us. I don't know if there was more that led up to these incidents.

 

[Beezle2]

Yeah, I didn't see the dark haired girl was pulling up her shorts! Looks like there is a lot more to the story then it first seems. I think the BYU team gets up to plenty of crap and they just picked on the wrong girl.

 

[surfergirl602]

I can't believe this!! My DD plays soccer and if this ever happened to her during a game, I would be calling for blood to the organization about this. I wouldn't stop until this girl was banned, fined, whatever. BAD reffing and an even worse coach for allowing it. What a shame. I really hate to say it, but I think that girl deserves a good dose of the golden rule and see how she likes it.

 

[Heidict]

I know at first glance it is bad but then when you see repeated showings of it, you tend to pick up on more of it. I'm not saying what she did was right or that someone deserved it, but it appears there is more to this than what the media is focusing on. Notice before she pulls the girls hair, what the girl is doing to her. I am a female, I don't know if I would react with the ferocity that she did, but I know I would not take to kindly to someone pulling my shorts up into my privates--that can be downright uncomfortable/painful. Yes she seems to over-react but we only saw clips of what they (media) chose to show us. I don't know if there was more that led up to these incidents.

It looked like she was pulling the front leg of the shorts out and slightly up. Didn't look like it was in any danger of hurting her privates. Still no reason to about decapitate someone.

I think the BYU team gets up to plenty of crap and they just picked on the wrong girl.

I'm sure that NMU would be playing clips of those all over the place, if in fact that was the case.

 

[dawson5]

It looked like she was pulling the front leg of the shorts out and slightly up. Didn't look like it was in any danger of hurting her privates. Still no reason to about decapitate someone.


I'm sure that NMU would be playing clips of those all over the place, if in fact that was the case.

I fully agree and stated earlier that I think she over-reacted but I don't think this is the whole story. I beg to differ on the shorts though, who knows if she hooked the undies in there. It still looks quite uncomfortable to me. I definitely would not take kindly to someone pulling on that, in that area. I don't think we'll ever see the whole story of this, unless someone wants to sit through a replay repeatedly to pick up on it all and even then it's doubtful that it would focus on what she did or had happen to her the whole game.

I just feel there are two sides to a story and I don't think we have the whole story. I'm not saying and never have said she is innocent, just that I think there is more to it.