Raheem Sterling and Antonio Valencia sent off in friendly for bad tackle and a throttling
The friendly between England and Ecuador in Miami that was meant to prepare both sides for the World Cup boiled over from the combination of pre-tournament emotion and sloppy tackles. England's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had to come off after an Ecuador player rolled into the side of his leg and caused his knee to buckle. But things really kicked off when Raheem Sterling caught Antonio Valencia with a bad tackle, prompting Valencia to throttle the 19-year-old.
Maybe it was leftover Liverpool-Manchester United animosity from the club season or maybe Valencia was extra defensive after he suffered a vicious leg break during a match in 2010, but both players were sent off. According to The Times' Oliver Kay, neither player will be suspended for the World Cup, but Sterling will be banned for England's friendly against Honduras this weekend.
(ITV)
This has been the Dirty Tackle of the Day: a chronicling of unfortunate events.
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