Balogun red card could cost USA in Belgium World Cup clash
Balogun scored and was sent off in the same game, and the suspension now threatens the U.S. attack before Belgium in Seattle.
Folarin Balogun scored the opening goal and then was sent off in the 64th minute as the United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in Santa Clara, but the dismissal may carry a bigger price than the win itself. The red card is expected to rule him out of the Round of 16 against Belgium on Monday, July 6, in Seattle, stripping Mauricio Pochettino of his top scorer at the moment the tournament reaches its most unforgiving stage.
The United States advanced with its first World Cup knockout victory in 24 years, and only its second ever in the modern tournament, but the passage came with a tactical warning attached. Balogun not only opened the scoring, he became the third American to score three goals in a single World Cup edition, a level of production the U.S. has rarely carried into the knockout rounds. Losing that output against Belgium would force Pochettino to reorganize a front line that has relied heavily on Balogun’s movement, finishing and ability to stretch defenses.
The sending-off arrived after a VAR review of contact with Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic, and referee Raphael Claus reached for the red after the review. In real time, the challenge appeared accidental, which is why the decision drew immediate controversy and why the dismissal has become the central issue from a result that otherwise sent the U.S. into the last 16. Reports say the card cannot be appealed, leaving the Americans with no route to restore Balogun for the Belgium match.
That turns Tuesday’s game in Seattle into a different sort of test. Belgium will arrive knowing the U.S. has already played one knockout match with 10 men and will likely need different attacking answers, with Christian Pulisic and Malik Tillman among the players who may have to shoulder more of the burden in Balogun’s absence. Seattle was already set to host the tie, but the suspension has sharpened its importance: the U.S. now has to prove it can protect a breakthrough result without the striker who helped deliver it.
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