Folarin Balogun scored the opening goal and was then controversially sent off as the United States defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to secure a place in the World Cup last 16, but the Monaco forward will miss the next match against Belgium due to suspension.
Balogun's Goal and Red Card
Balogun, who would not have been eligible to play without the US constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, pushed the co-hosts into the knockout stage with his third goal of the tournament. Just two days before his 25th birthday, he calmly finished a deflected ball at the edge of the area and celebrated in the style of LeBron James, prompting a response from the NBA great.
However, approximately 20 minutes later, Balogun was shown a straight red card for what appeared to be inadvertent contact with Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemović. Referee Raphael Claus reviewed the incident via VAR and deemed it violent conduct after Balogun awkwardly planted his right foot on Muharemović's ankle and calf.
Reaction to the Sending Off
US head coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed his dismay: "For me it is never a red card. Watching after on TV, it was never the intention to step on the player. That is a normal action in football that happened by accident and was never intentional. That is why for me it is never a red card. I think today the 50/50 decisions [by the referee] were not good for us."
Pochettino added that Balogun was "disappointed, very disappointed. Because it wasn't intentional and he's said. He is also happy because we qualified – but disappointed and sad because it was not his intention and we [can't do anything] to change that feeling."
US midfielder Tyler Adams also believed a yellow card would have been more appropriate: "You're asking the wrong person with how I tackle. I mean, I think it's a yellow card. I think when you slow everything down, it is always going to look worse."
Former English Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, analyzing the match on Fox, suggested the play should never have gone to VAR: "When you watch it in real time, you don't see the ankle twist. It's just that accident, as Balogun puts his foot down, he catches underneath his opponent's foot. This is just an accident. It happens. This doesn't meet, for me, the criteria of a red card, and it certainly is going to change the course of the game."
Impact on the Team
The loss of Balogun put a pall on an otherwise celebratory day for the co-hosts, as the US won their first knockout-stage game in 24 years. They did so against a Bosnia side that never threatened, even with a man advantage. Midfielder Malik Tillman's perfectly placed free-kick sealed the victory late in the second half.
Balogun's suspension means he will play no part in the last-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday, leaving Pochettino to make a consequential lineup decision. The coach will almost certainly replace Balogun with either PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi or Coventry City's Haji Wright. Pepi was the choice on Wednesday, though his shift lasted just two minutes.
"We will have different options," Pochettino said. "We'll have to see which one we take."
Balogun's Background and Red Card History
Born in Brooklyn and raised by his Nigerian parents in London, Balogun has spent most of his life overseas. In 2001, while pregnant, his mother was visiting family in New York City. She attempted to return home seven months into her pregnancy but was barred by her airline, resulting in Folarin's birth in the US. The two returned to England soon after, and he was courted by England and Nigeria before choosing to represent the US.
Balogun becomes the fifth US player to receive a World Cup red card. Eric Wynalda earned a red card against Czechoslovakia in 1990, while Fernando Clavijo was sent off four years later in the last 16 against Brazil. Two US players – Eddie Pope and Pablo Mastroeni – were dismissed in 2006 against Italy. Balogun's sending off was the first in two decades.
