Lady Andrade gets Olympic ban after punching Abby Wambach in the face
Abby Wambach shows off her black eye after being punched in the face by Lady Andrade during an Olympic soccer match.
Colombian soccer player Lady Andrade got a two-match Olympic ban after punching US player Abby Wambach in the face during a game.
FIFA said its disciplinary committee suspended Andrade from a group match against France on Tuesday and from the quarterfinals, if Colombia advances, according to the Associated Press. Wambach said she was "sucker-punched" in the right eye by Andrade in the 39th minute of a 3-0 win over Colombia on Saturday.
More from GlobalPost: North Korean women's soccer team refuses to take field
The punch prompted Wambach to call for Andrade's removal from the Olympics, reported USA Today. Wambach called the play "unsportsmanlike" and "dangerous," but also said she would "never think about that girl again." The US team did not make a formal complaint about the incident and declined to comment.
Andrade, on the other hand, claimed there was no punch and that the run-in was an accident, according to the Daily Mail.
"Nothing happened," Andrade said. "It was just a normal part of the game. We were both running, she ran across me and we collided. I had my hands in the air. It was an accident."
The Daily Mail also reported that Wambach, who was left with a black eye after the incident, went on to play in the second half of the match and scored a goal, leading the US team to set a new record for scoring at the Olympics, with a total of six.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.