SouthernWorldwide.com – The United States Men’s National Team recently secured a significant victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, a considerable concern looms over their upcoming match against Belgium.
This concern stems from the absence of star striker Folarin Balogun, who received a highly controversial red card in the second half of the previous game.
Consequently, a suspension was expected. The U.S. team received positive news on Friday when FIFA confirmed that the suspension would only be for one match.
While it was always improbable that FIFA would extend Balogun’s suspension beyond a single game, their formal decision to limit it to one match is the most favorable outcome for the U.S. in this situation.
There was no avenue for the U.S. to appeal this specific decision. Therefore, their only recourse was to hope that the suspension would indeed be confined to one game.
Balogun himself shared his initial thoughts on the incident on Friday, shortly after FIFA’s ruling became public.
“It’s important for me to say, first and foremost, it was totally unintentional,” he stated on Friday. “The choice of the referee was his choice. I don’t think it was the correct choice. I think a yellow card would’ve been fair, due to it not being intentional.”
“It’s something that happened; we have to move forward, and I have to accept it.”
Balogun’s absence will undoubtedly be felt in Monday’s match against Belgium in Seattle, especially considering he is currently the team’s leading scorer with three goals in the tournament.
However, if the American team manages to achieve an upset against the Belgians, they can take solace in knowing that Balogun will be available for action in the quarterfinals.
