The lifting of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension caused quite a stir. After the U.S. was eliminated from the World Cup, he spoke out for the first time—and recounted a moment with the Belgian coach.
The focus was hardly on the soccer itself ahead of the World Cup round of 16 match between the U.S. and Belgium; everything revolved around the Folarin Balogun controversy, whose red card suspension FIFA had suddenly lifted in the run-up to the game. Following the host nation’s crushing defeat against Belgium (1–4), the U.S. forward has now spoken out for the first time about the back-and-forth surrounding him and expressed understanding for the commotion.
It’s normal to be suspended after receiving a red card. “Of course, it’s controversial when the decision is changed,” said the 25-year-old forward, who, like the rest of his team, appeared subdued against Belgium, remained on the field until stoppage time, and received a grade of 5 for his performance.
“We accepted the decision when I saw the red card, and we accepted the decision when we were told that I could play,” explained the AS Monaco player, adding: “I wasn’t involved in the process. It had nothing to do with me personally.”
Ream downplays outside influence
Balogun had been shown a red card during the U.S.’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup Round of 32, but FIFA then suspended the striker’s ban on probation the day before the match against Belgium. In the Round of 16, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino was thus able to field the forward after all, though even Balogun couldn’t prevent the team’s World Cup exit.
“Otherwise, we played well and managed to get the crowd fired up. We didn’t succeed in that, and that’s what’s disappointing for me. Now we have to wait another four years until we get another chance,” Balogun said of his team’s poor performance. According to captain Tim Ream, the team wasn’t influenced by the heated discussions. “We managed to block out the noise. We were completely focused on ourselves; it didn’t matter what was said or written,” Ream said.
Rudi Garcia and Balogun speak after the game
Midfielder Tyler Adams echoed this sentiment, saying he didn’t believe “that it affected us in any way.” Balogun “did what he could, but he didn’t have many opportunities to show what he’s capable of,” Adams continued. Balogun had only 19 touches against Belgium.
Belgium’s coach, Rudi Garcia, was among the harshest critics of the FIFA decision, which caused a stir worldwide. Balogun and the Frenchman spoke with each other after the match. “He came up to me, and I appreciated that. It’s not his fault. He didn’t do anything wrong. I respect him,” Garcia said at the postgame press conference. “I wanted to congratulate Belgium and Rudi Garcia and wish them the best of luck for the rest of the tournament,” Balogun said of the conversation.