Folarin Balogun received a shocking red card in the 64th minute of the USA’s round-of-32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun was competing for the ball with center back Tarik Muharemovic, and Balogun stepped on the Bosnian defender’s ankle while he was falling toward the ground.
Brazilian referee Raphael Claus was sent to the screen next to the field after a VAR review, and he deemed the action by Balogun to be worthy of a red card.
Because of the red card, Balogun will miss the United States’ next match if it hangs on and beats Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I don’t believe it’s a good use of VAR,” FOX referee analyst Mark Clattenburg said on the broadcast. “When you watch it in real time, you don’t see the ankle twist – and it’s just that accident, as Balogun puts his foot down, he catches underneath his opponent’s foot.
“This is just an accident. It happens. You can see he’s upset by it. This doesn’t meet, for me, the criteria of a red card, and it certainly is going to change the course of the game.”
Balogun’s red card was the 12th of this year’s World Cup.
“This is not consistent with what I’ve seen from the rest of the tournament,” Clattenburg said. “When this type of challenge comes, it’s more of a step and action. And when it’s step and action, it lacks force and intensity.
“But the problem you’ve then got as Balogun puts his foot down, he catches the foot of the Bosnia and Herzegovina player, and that’s what creates that movement down.
“That means his ankle twists, and therefore, does he endanger the safety of his opponent? You could argue it does, but I think it’s slightly unfair because it’s more of a step and action, and it lacks force and intensity to create that red card.”
FOX’s Jenny Taft noted on the broadcast that she was near Balogun’s family close to the field. She said, “They were shocked and disappointed. His players were consoling him. He wasn’t showing a lot of emotion.”
Balogun has been a breakout player at this World Cup for the United States, and he scored his third goal of the tournament in the first half. He also had one ruled out in the first half because he was offside.
Balogun was born in New York but raised in London. He has scored 12 goals in 30 international appearances for the USA since making his debut in 2023. He plays his club soccer for AS Monaco in France’s Ligue 1.
