Folarin Balogun's straight red card during the USA's World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina has drawn sharp criticism from his teammates and coach, who described the decision as "bogus" and "typical FIFA." Balogun, who had opened the scoring for the U.S., was sent off after a collision with Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic. The referee, Raphael Claus, reviewed the incident via VAR and deemed the challenge a "serious foul."
The suspension means Balogun will miss at least one match, including the upcoming last-16 clash against Belgium. Manager Mauricio Pochettino stated that the incident was accidental and not intentional, calling it "never a red card." Midfielder Tyler Adams echoed this sentiment, suggesting that while the challenge might warrant a yellow card, it was exacerbated by slow-motion replays. "I think when you slow everything down it always going to look worse," Adams said.
Christian Pulisic agreed, calling the suspension "ridiculous" and "unfortunate." Weston McKennie questioned the decision-making process, noting that similar plays in the tournament had not resulted in cards. "There have been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players where a card wasn't given at all," McKennie commented. He also pointed to a previous incident where Lionel Messi received no card for a studs-up challenge.
The team also voiced frustration with FIFA's rules regarding red card appeals. According to current regulations, appeals are only permitted in cases of mistaken identity or if a player faces a multi-game suspension. "That should be fair, to appeal and demonstrate that it wasn't a red card," Pochettino stated. Adams criticized the limitations as "typical FIFA," while McKennie added that it was "a bit bogus" given the importance of every player at this stage of the tournament.
Despite the controversy, the U.S. secured a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.