College soccer: New Mexico's Elizabeth Lambert tries to get a red card (New Mexico soccer player suspended video)

We don't post too many blogs on college soccer, but random acts of sports-related violence are often good enough to make the cut.

Check out this video of New Mexico defender Elizabeth Lambert trying her best to get a red card during a match against BYU last week (by the way, all she got was a yellow card):

The Lancaster Paraclete graduate was suspended indefinitely by New Mexico after video of her BYU beatdown hit the Internet on Friday. I hope she didn't learn that while practicing corner kicks at the Lancaster National Soccer Center.

Lambert apologized for her actions, but New Mexico needs to consider whether it would be smart allowing her to play again with all the negative attention she's brought to the school. Of course, where was the coach in all of this? And how about the ref? What do you need to do to get kicked out of a game?

-- Austin Knoblauch

Comments

[justiceserved]

She should be banned from intercollegiate sports for the remainder of her college career and the video of her actions used to teach the fundamentals of sportmanship & fairplay. That way her abhorrent behavior could be used to teach others.

[C. Ferrell]

Lambert just proved that THUG is genderless!

[Will]

Remember......It's not whether you win or lose.......it's how you play the game!

A perfect display of trying to become number one, by behaving like #2.

Priceless.

[durel wiley]

This woman does not need to be involved in sports. This is disgusting, criminal behavior that should be dealt with harshly. God help her future family, who will no doubt suffer at her hands. I would encourage the women who were victimized by this monster to press charges.

[Jim]

Sociopathic.

[Bill]

As a soccer referee for many years. This game brings up alot of questions as to where the center referee was, the lines man, and the coach. She should of been red cared and barred from playing soccer again. And since this is one of the worst refering job I have seen in awhile. The center referee and the linesman should also not be allowed to games until they learn how to do them.

[Bobbi]

She should be banned forever from soccer! What a dink! No tolerance for her or the school.

[Gerry]

She should be disciplined, but I would look at the whole picture, her history and any prevailing issues. I would also take action against her coach and the referee. They should be held accountable for not intervening, she could have seriously hurt someone.

[james cartwright]

What is the punishment for the players who initiated the contract. The first one elbowed her in the chest, the second one was pulling her shorts down.

[FRANKLIN]

If this was a men’s player he would have been kicked out for the season or the school would have banned him from all sports and taken their scholarship? I guess that is the difference between men and woman?

[Ed]

Big difference between playing physical (and the ball first) and what this collegiate player did. I cannot believe their coach didn't pull her after the pony tail yank-down. The punching, swatting and hitting are unbelievable even if you consider major UK club rivalries (onfield play - not the stands).

Her scholarship should be revoked for that type of consistent play.

[Ronaldo]

I'm in love.

[DB]

It's clear from the video that the elbow to the ribs is a response to something that is unseen by the camera. But even if the elbow to the ribs was an instigation, the vicious response was uncalled for. It's as if the slightest offense justified Lambert to go to any lengths for retribution. This is clearly shown when she intentionally hits a defender across the face who is just vying for the ball. My guess is that a review of other film and conversations with other teams would reveal this is no isolated incident.

[Sal]

I do not support what Lambert did, however, everyone is focusing on her fouls--the "second foul". No one is focusing on the "first" fouls. One can see for instance BYU # 7 elbowing her in the chest, and the BYU player Lambert pulled her pony tail pulling Lambert's shorts up into her groin area, and possibly scratching her. In other scenes one can see BYU players just throwing themselves at full speed at NM's defenders as they try to dribble-penetrate NM's line of defenders. This could be a case of a player, Lambert, who had it with the no-calls by the referee and the persistent fouling bt the BYU players. I would say that the referee and his assisstants failed to protect Lambert and NM's players from BYU's "well executed" concealed first-fouls, and Lambert reacted in frustration to protect herself with "I don't care anymore" kind of blatant fouls. This is the ugly side of the game, but it is part of the game. That's why efficient and knowledgeable referees are a must at all levels, particularly at DI levels and higher.

[Guiseppe]

Don't know much about soccer, but I'll bet the NM women's team has never gotten this kind of press before. It might be more fun to watch if they just made it full contact.

[3VIL L33T]

Elizabeth Lambert should keep playing and I hope she is able to make the USA team. If the reg gave her a red card she wouldn't have taken it this far. Every player in every game pushed the rules until they are pushed back. Don't hate the player hate the ref.

[DB]

Unbelievable. The pull-down may amount to criminal assault. It's just amazing to me that people get on these boards and compare what BYU did to Lambert's response. Clearly, she goes way beyond anything that came her way. It's way out of balance and anyone that can't see that is either turning a blind eye, or has some kind of strange vendetta against BYU.

DB

[Jose]

Red-card the ref!!!

[DOUG]

I have been a sports official for 41 years and unfortunately I have seen alot of this type of activity. What I tell officials from any sport when I am teaching them is that the most important aspect of any officals ruling should be based on the intent of the player making the contact. Ms. Lambert with her actions on the field clearly showed what her intent was, and that was to harm the other teams players. She should have been immediately give a red card removed from the match and then suspended from the team. Whether the school wishes to revoke all or part of her scholarship is an action that they need to seriously concider. There is no place at any level, in any sport that actions like this should be allowed to stand.

[Zidane]

Hey Ronaldo, buzz off...

I'm in love with her

Signed
Zidane

[MrNiceGuy]

I think she should see if she can get a roster spot on the Philthadelphia Flyers.

[Jim]

I'm not sure banning is the right approach. Perhaps assault charges are more appropriate. I don't understand why team mates of the BYU player didn't open a can of whup on her. Girls soccer is rough, but this was way beyond the pale.

[mike]

the fact she wasnt even yellow carded for that tackle shows the ref was letting the game get out of hand. not to say some of what BYU did wasnt cardable either. the girl she threw down got a hole lot of lamberts shorts before she threw the BYU player down.but yes I think what she did is well outside the standerds of fair play of this and all sports and I think her days of playing this or any other sanctioned sport is over or should be. she should of been red carded for many of the things she did not just the hair pull.

[Leigh Oats]

Says DB ("November 09, 2009 at 11:49 AM"):

"It's clear from the video that the elbow to the ribs is a response to something that is unseen by the camera."

True. The video implies that the occupational-therapy (classic!) student Elizabeth Lambert (UNM's #15) uses her hidden right hand to do something painful or annoying to BYU's #7 Carly Payne. Only after that does Payne make gentle use of her left elbow against Lambert. That token retaliation against gross intimidation seems to prompt Lambert to shove her right fist into the small of Payne's back.

[disgusted]

she should be charged with battery