Folarin Balogun had the wildest 90 minutes of his life on Wednesday, and it did not end how he wanted. The USMNT striker was sent off on one of the softest red cards you will ever see at a World Cup.
Balogun had already made his mark on the match. He scored a beautiful goal to give the United States the lead and then celebrated by doing LeBron James’s signature “silencer” move, which got LeBron himself to reply online. It was one of those moments the American soccer program has been waiting years to produce.
Then the yellow cards started piling up. His first was for a mistimed challenge in midfield. The second was for what looked like a routine 50-50 ball where he arrived a half-second late. The ref reached for his pocket, held up the yellow, and then the red. Match over.
The reaction was immediate. Players from both sides looked confused. The American bench was livid. Announcers on the broadcast could barely hide their disbelief. VAR looked at it. VAR did nothing. Off he went.
This is what makes international soccer so different from Premier League play. Referees at the World Cup are pulled from all over, and the standard for what constitutes a bookable foul varies wildly. What passes for a nothing challenge in England can be a straight yellow in Concacaf play. Balogun learned that the hard way.
The bigger problem is what this means for the next match. Balogun is now suspended and the US striker depth is not exactly loaded. Mauricio Pochettino has options, but none of them are Balogun. This forces a full attacking rethink before the next fixture.
You can already hear the takes about American refs and international double standards. Some of those takes will be dumb. Some will be fair. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Balogun’s first yellow was reasonable. The second was a stretch. Together they add up to a match-changing call that will get replayed for years.
Balogun still had a big World Cup showing before the sendoff. He scored, he ran defenders ragged, and he showed why Arsenal fans were upset when Monaco pried him away. The US will need him back healthy and available as soon as the suspension lifts.
The USMNT lives to fight another day. Balogun goes home early with a story to tell. And the debate over that red card will continue long after this tournament ends.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
