U.S. men’s national team star striker Folarin Balogun has avoided a multi-game suspension for his red card in the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina but will sit out the World Cup round of 16 game vs. Belgium, a U.S. Soccer spokesman confirmed.
Balogun, who scored in that 2-0 win, was sent off in the 64th minute of the second half by referee Rafael Claus after stepping on Bosnia and Herzegovina player Tarik Muharemović’s ankle.
A player who receives a red card is automatically dismissed for the rest of that match and must sit out the subsequent match.
That means the U.S. will be without its leading goalscorer at the tournament (3 goals in 4 games) for a crucial match on Monday against Belgium in Seattle with a quarterfinals spot on the line.
Balogun is the first player to score a goal and register a red card in a World Cup knockout match since Zinedine Zidane against Italy in the 2006 final.
United States’ Folarin Balogun sent off after VAR review for foul against Bosnia and Herzegovina
When Can Balogun Return?
Should the U.S. beat Belgium and reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, then Balogun will be able to re-join the squad. The USMNT will need him should it reach that stage as it will play the winner of the round of 16 game between Spain and Portugal – two of the tournament’s favorites to win it all.
That quarterfinal game will be on Saturday, July 11 in Los Angeles.
Was There An Appeal Process for Balogun’s Red Card?
The U.S. had no path to appeal Balogun’s standard one-match suspension, as confirmed by FOX Sports rules analyst Mark Clattenburg. Had FIFA decided that Balogun would be suspended for more than one game, then the U.S. could have appealed that decision.
Who Could Replace Balogun In USA’s Lineup?
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino has two other striker options in his squad: Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright. Expect either player to get the start with Balogun on the bench.
Pochettino could also go with a dual striker setup with both Pepi and Wright up top.
The other option could be a formation change where star forward Christian Pulisic plays more in a ‘false No. 9’ position where he’ll be even more involved in the attack.
UNITED STATES TAKES LEAD 🚨 Folarin Balogun Scores Goal vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
