These can pretty much be presented without comment. It’s really fate that’s cruel in this first one (courtesy of James Mirtle):
There’s no question as to who is cruel in this second video. Those are some serious anger management issues.
The player’s name is Elizabeth Lambert–here’s an ESPN report (auto-playing video ahead) about the match. They rightfully raise two questions about these incidents: why aren’t the teammates of the fouled player standing up to Lambert, and how did she make it through the whole game with only a yellow card?
UPDATE: Phillip sent along this New York Times article in which Ms. Lambert responds to the video. The reporter goes pretty easy on her.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Not that I condone Ms. Lambert’s behavior, but is anyone looking at the other girls? To be honest this is the first I have seen this video.
The #7 girl from BYU looked like she elbowed Ms. Lambert in the ribs first. Instigating??? Then the second girl with the ponytail used her left hand to, what looks like, give a “front wedgie†(for lack of a better term).
Neither case gives Ms. Lambert the right to retaliate but perhaps this had been going on throughout the whole game? We are only getting a piece of the puzzle.
True, but both of those tactics are pretty common in soccer (plus, the elbow to the ribs looked pretty lightweight). Ms. Lambert’s response is, on the other hand, highly unorthodox.
I think the girl who gave the elbow deserved the shot in the back but the second attach was just brutal. The poor girl hits the ground like a bag of rocks and Lambert just goes on as if nothing happened.
The first video simply made my night – Thats a celebration Fail like never before.
I thought that soccer was a non-contact sport?
Anyway, I am NOT defending Ms. Lambert’s actions at all, and given the public apology she must have known she was in the “wrong.â€
But, on that note, are we being extra judgmental because the incident was between 2 women? What if it was 2 men? Darren…would you even be blogging about it?
I probably would have written about it had it been two men. Everything besides the ponytail pull is illegal, but not really remarkable. It’s the ponytail pull that makes it bloggable, to my mind. And there are plenty of poncy dudes with ponytails in soccer.
As an example of a male equivalent, I mentioned, in a peculiar way, Zidane’s infamous headbutt from a few years ago.
First video is really funny, but the goal was amazing. Second video – this girl needs some anger management practice at psychiatrist.