US Star Balogun Knew Red Card Reversal Would ‘Cause a Lot of Controversy’
FIFA said VAR officials wrongly used slow-motion replay to judge intent, a rare reversal that cleared Balogun for the next match.
- In a rare move, FIFA overturned Folarin Balogun's red card suspension, clearing the American player to compete against Belgium after acknowledging that VAR officials improperly used slow-motion replays to determine intent.
- Balogun was issued a straight red card for "serious foul play" after video review showed him stepping on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic during their World Cup round of 32 match, sparking international outrage.
- The American Men's National Soccer Team won 2-0 despite playing down a man for 26 minutes, but Belgium later trounced the team 4-1 in the round of 16 match, ending their tournament run.
- Speaking on "CBS Mornings" on July 14, Balogun said he was "in shock" regarding the decision, rejecting claims that the controversy distracted the team during their Belgium match.
- Overturning a red card is rare, even when consensus exists on the injustice of its issuance; the incident remains a significant point of debate regarding the application of technology in professional soccer.
18 Articles
18 Articles
FIFA’s games betray our trust
A lot is written about corruption, but fundamentally it’s about trust and how healthy societies can’t exist without it; and the World Cup has shown what happens when trust breaks down. The decision to allow U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to play in the World Cup match against Belgium was, according to FIFA, made by the relevant disciplinary committee in a routine manner. However, following the similarly generous treatment accorded to Portuguese me…
US striker Folarin Balogun admitted that he anticipated a strong negative reaction following President Donald Trump’s intervention to revoke his World Cup suspension and said he knew it would “cause a lot of controversy.”
US striker Folarin Balogun has said he was aware of the consequences of FIFA's decision to allow him to play against Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 despite receiving a red card.
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