Folarin Balogun’s teammates defended him after he received a red card during the USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The incident occurred after Balogun inadvertently stepped on Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus issued the red card following a VAR review, ruling Balogun out of the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
Weston McKennie, Balogun’s teammate, criticized the decision and the lack of appeal options. McKennie stated, “Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable. I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”
“It’s never a red card. Never… If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said.
A FIFA official told The Athletic that appeals for such suspensions are not possible, as per FIFA regulations citing automatic suspension for send-offs. Balogun joins a list of players, including Ronaldinho and Zidane, who faced similar circumstances in past World Cups.
This marks the fifth red card in the U.S. team’s World Cup history, following instances involving Eric Wynalda, Fernando Clavijo, Pablo Mastroeni, and Eddie Pope. The controversial call has sparked discussions about the consistency of officiating decisions during the tournament.