Jarell Quansah was sent off in England’s round of 16 tie against Mexico as Thomas Tuchel’s decision to play him instead of Jed Spence backfired.
In the 53rd minute, Quansa rushed for the ball and slid with his studs raised. And although the England star was able to get to the ball first, it struck Jesus Gallardo’s left shin hard, causing him to collapse to the ground in pain as the Mexican bench rose in fury at the reckless challenge.
Initially, the players on the pitch continued to play as Gallardo writhed in pain, causing the Mexican bench to move closer to the England bench as both teams went at each other. As the two benches collided with each other, referee Alireza Faghani was forced to stop the match.
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That’s when he and the panel of judges gathered to consider Quansa’s challenge. After a very quick review, the 23-year-old was shown a red card, which immediately put England at a disadvantage as they were forced to finish the rest of the match with just 10 men.
Quansah became the first England player since 2006 to be sent off from the World Cup. Wayne Rooney was the last England star to be sent off against Portugal 20 years ago.
With the match tied 3-2 with less than 20 minutes remaining, Tuchel eventually brought on Spence in the 74th minute to focus primarily on defense, with Mexico constantly attacking and gaining momentum against a short-handed England side. It was clear that the Mexican side had all the energy as they continually invaded England’s box.
Jarell Quansah was sent off with a straight red card in the match against Mexico. Photo by: Michael Regan. FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
For Tuchel and Quansa it was a move that backfired as the head coach continued to look for solutions in defence. Quansa started at right-back for England and was part of a team that tried to keep a strong Mexican side on their heels.
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