Balogun Banned One Match After Bosnia Red Card, Will Miss Belgium
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- Folarin Balogun scored the USMNT opener in the 45th minute against Bosnia-Herzegovina but was sent off in the 64th for a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic, leaving the U.S. to survive 36 minutes a man down (including 10 minutes of stoppage).
- Malik Tillman padded the lead in the 82nd minute with a direct free kick after Bosnia had closed to within one following Balogun's ejection.
- Balogun received a one-match FIFA ban on Friday and would be eligible to return for the quarterfinals if the U.S. beats Belgium in the round of 16.
- Balogun told reporters he believed a yellow card would have been the fairer call, arguing the contact with Muharemovic was 'unavoidable' given their positioning battle and that 'there's nowhere else to put your leg.'
- Balogun still shook referee Raphael Claus's hand after the match, saying 'it's not an excuse to be disrespectful' when a call goes against you and noting many American viewers were tuning into a World Cup for the first time.
- Cristian Roldan continued individual training as he recovers from a quad injury, while defender Mark McKenzie returned to full training after foot irritation had kept him off the Bosnia roster.
Why it matters: The USMNT advances to a round-of-16 meeting with Belgium without its goal-scorer, forcing Pochettino's side to absorb a one-match FIFA ban mid-tournament — a roster crunch that puts extra weight on Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright as the most likely replacements up top.
