Forward Folarin Balogun disagreed with the red-card ruling that will see him miss the United States’ World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium, and he admitted to experiencing a range of emotions since being sent off.
In the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in Inglewood, Calif., Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament in the first half before receiving a second-half red card for his tackle on Tarik Muharemovic.
No foul was called against Balogun originally, but a video review led to the referee sending him off.
Speaking Friday in Seattle, where the U.S. will oppose Belgium on Monday, Balogun said, “I’ve seen many different opinions and takes. For me personally, I think a yellow card would have been fair. It’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward and I have to accept it. But the most important thing is just to focus on the bigger picture, which is Belgium.”
He added of the aftermath of the red card, “It’s been a roller coaster. There’s been lots of different emotions. I’ve been upset. I’ve been happy. It’s been surreal, to be honest. But for me, I think it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion.
“There’s still lots of people we’re inspiring, little kids, boys and girls who are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things even when you think it’s unjust.
“So I felt I did that. And as I said, I’m happy with the support, not just that I’m receiving, but the team. And I think we’re all looking forward to seeing what we can do against Belgium.”
As for how the U.S. will cope against Belgium while missing their top scorer in the event, midfielder Tyler Adams said, “When you miss a player like (Balogun), obviously things change a little bit, but we’ve been flexible. Guys have shown that they’re ready to play. …
“If it’s (Ricardo) Pepi, if it’s Haji (Wright filling in for Balogun), if they go a different direction, who knows? I’m not the coach. But yeah, it should be an exciting opportunity for everybody.”
The USMNT were officially notified that Balogun’s suspension is the standard one match, so Balogun would be able to return to action in the quarterfinals against Spain or Portugal on July 10 in Inglewood should the U.S. win on Monday.
–Field Level Media
