USMNT shrugs off Balogun noise in WCup exit
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- USMNT was eliminated from the World Cup after a 4-1 loss to Belgium in Seattle, with coach Mauricio Pochettino bluntly saying the team "was not good enough" and failed to show its quality.
- Folarin Balogun had scored three goals in the first four U.S. games but was largely invisible against Belgium, rarely touching the ball in the final third before being substituted late in the match.
- Mauricio Pochettino rejected any suggestion the two-day Balogun red card suspension saga had distracted the squad, saying "all that was happening around... it wasn't a situation that affected us in the group."
- President Donald Trump and White House officials were involved in helping US Soccer appeal to FIFA to adjust Balogun's suspension — a storyline captain Tim Ream dismissed as "outside noise" with "no impact" on the team.
- Tyler Adams said Balogun's return from suspension actually "uplifted" the squad and pushed back on singling out Balogun's quiet performance: "Was anyone a major presence on the field today?"
Why it matters: The 4-1 scoreline against Belgium — one of the pre-tournament favorites — provides a stark measuring stick for where Pochettino's squad actually stands against elite opposition. With the Balogun distraction now moot, the post-mortem will center entirely on why the team that scored freely in group play disappeared in the knockout round.
