Weston McKennie Slams Folarin Balogun's "Bogus" Red Card Suspension.
Fans of Team USA are furious at Folarin Balogun's red card. For fouling Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic during the sides' round-of-32 World Cup encounter in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, the American forward was given the startling disciplinary sanction.
Balogun attempted to position himself as the players battled for the ball, but he became tangled with Muharemovic and eventually landed his foot on the defender's ankle. After the referee watched the clip through a VAR review, he issued Balogun a red card.
In addition to being sent off the field for the rest of the game, the 24-year-old will also be suspended from Team USA's next Round of 16 match against Belgium. The U.S. progressed to the Round of 16 after defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 to 0, which was the men's team's first knockoff round victory in 24 years.
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A FIFA official informed The Athletic that it is not possible to appeal the red card and ban, citing FIFA's regulations. Still, several of Balogun’s colleagues are shouting foul on the decision.
"I think it's questionable," according to USA Today, U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie discussed the red card following the game. "I think there's been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn't given at all, so it's disappointing. I don't think it's a red card, if anything maybe a yellow, but [it was] unintentional."
McKennie didn't mince words about his feelings over Balogun's ban either.
"I think in this stage of the tournament where every player is important," he added, "I think it's a bit bogus."
Balogun, who delivered the first goal for Team USA in the game while midfielder Malik Tillman added the second, was also defended by American star Christian Pulisic.
"We put on such a good performance and didn’t deserve the red card," following the game, Pulisic made remarks to Fox Sports. "I mean, I didn’t see it, but it’s unfortunate. But for us to dig in deep like that and just to get another goal and to defend the way we did, it took a real team effort. So, we’re proud of that."
Mauricio Pochettino, the coach of Team USA, continued to provide encouragement.
"That was a normal action in football that happened by accident,” following the game, he informed media outlets, "and it’s never intentional. That is why, for me, it’s never a red card."
Some athletes on Team Balogun featured World Cup champions Abby Wambach—with her adding on Instagram “I don’t think it’s a red, that’s a tough decision by the ref,” as well as Thierry Henry.
"I think it was unfortunate—let’s all be honest," the French soccer phenomena stated on Fox Sports. "If you pose at that moment and you see the picture, it looks awful. But you need to have some type of common sense. He never went to hurt nobody. He went to get the ball. And where do you land after? He’s going to have to land somewhere. And unfortunately, if you press pause at the right time, it looks not great.”
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