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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The United States Men's National Team achieved a 2-0 win in their Round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, but it came with a costly red card for star player Folarin Balogun, who'd also scored in the win.
Balogun's red card came 64 minutes into the game, after he made contact with Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic while going for the ball. Balogun's foot came down on the back of Muharemovic's leg, which appeared accidental and unintentional in instant replays.
However, the VAR check determined it was a red card incident, which sent Balogun out for the remainder of the game, leaving the USMNT with only 10 players on the field. They went on to win, thanks to Malik Tillman's free-kick goal, giving them a 2-0 lead, but they will miss Balogun for their next game.
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"For me, never is a red card," USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the match. "I watched it after on TV, and never was the intention to step on the player that was a normal action in football that happened by accident, and it's never intentional. That is why for me, it's never a red card."
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The review process for Balgoun's red card looked at still images and slow-motion replay footage, which ESPN indicated isn't in line with protocols to determine red cards in these situations.
A similar play occurred by Lionel Messi earlier in the World Cup, with no card given to Argentina's superstar, sparking debates over the consistency with how referees and VAR issue cards for those types of plays.
After Balogun's incident, FIFA confirmed, per The Athletic, that there is "no mechanism to appeal a red card," so the USMNT will have to play on Monday without Balogun, which will definitely be a massive blow to the lineup.
Balogun has played in three of the USMNT's matches, all wins. He scored twice in the team's Group D opening win over Paraguay, and again last night to give the USMNT the 1-0 lead before halftime.
Balogun didn't play in the team's final group match against Turkiye, which the USMNT lost due to a late goal in stoppage time, 3-2.
Next up, the USMNT will face Belgium, who won 3-2, to stun Senegal in their Round of 32 match on Wednesday. Goals from Romelu Lukaku at the 86-minute mark and Youri Tielemans at the 89-minute mark tied the score, before Tielemans scored again on a penalty kick in extra time to get the win.
The two teams previously met in an International Friendly in March, with Belgium getting a 5-2 win. Balogun was on the field for that match but scoreless, with Weston McKennie and Patrick Agyemang scoring the USMNT's only two goals.
Balogun's absence will definitely be a difficult task for the USMNT to overcome in a massive World Cup match with the quarterfinals on the line. They'll need to figure out the best replacement for him and hope for big performances from other key players, such as Christian Pulisic, against an experienced Belgium squad on Monday night.
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