Team USA Soccer received the best news possible when they were notified that leading scorer Folarin Balogun would not miss their round-of-16 match against Belgium tomorrow. Balogun had previously received a one-game suspension for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovi in last week’s round-of-32 game.
He was tossed from that match with 36 minutes to play, and the Americans were forced to play short-handed for the remainder of the game. They fortunately escaped the match with a 2-0 victory.
Immediately after Balogun’s suspension was announced, FIFA’s governing body told Team USA officials that a team cannot appeal a red card or the subsequent suspension. This especially irked the US side because many thought it should have been a yellow card infraction rather than a red. FIFA informed the world today that, under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.
Joyous Reaction from Balogun and the US Side
Obviously, there was great joy and a sense of relief when FIFA announced that Balogun’s suspension had been lifted. Team USA star winger Christian Pulisic said this when he heard the news. “Obviously, for us it gives us a boost. I mean, if you look at the foul, it was just — it’s zero intent at all. I felt like there was much worse ones that went on at this tournament. Balo handled it so well, and I think the team handled it well. He was so positive and all for the team. It just feels right, I guess.”
Defender Chris Richards added, “I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first, but I think we’re really excited. We found out through social media. … I thought it was AI and stuff. There’s a lot of people posting a lot of stuff. So, we weren’t sure if it was true or not. Then one person said something, another person said another thing, and nobody wanted to confirm it. So, like I said, pretty much right when we got here (was) when we found out that it was true.”
“Free Balo” signs were popping up in fan group chats and on social media in the aftermath of the red card. Balogun has been one of the stars of this World Cup tournament, scoring four goals in the three and a half matches he has played. This is a lift for Team USA, who had already lost the services of Pulisic for a match and a half due to a calf injury.
Reaction from the Belgian Side
As you could imagine, team officials and fans of Team Belgium were less than enthusiastic about FIFA’s decision to allow Balogun to play tomorrow. The Royal Belgian Football Association released this statement in reaction to the news.
“The Royal Belgian Football Association was astonished to learn of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee’s decision to reverse course on Balogun’s one-game red-card suspension from the USMNT’s round of 32 match. The decision makes Balogun now eligible to play in the round of 16 game on Monday in Seattle.
“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”
How Does it All Shake Out
Team USA is ecstatic about playing Belgium at full strength tomorrow. Having Balogun in its lineup adds another dimension to their attack. And with him and Pulisic both in the lineup, they should have ample opportunities to score. However, this decision might motivate the Belgian team to play the match of their life. We’ll discover the answers to these questions tomorrow night.
Team USA and Belgium are set to kick off at 8 pm ET on Monday, July 6, at Lumen Field in Seattle.
