Team USA won its game Wednesday night, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It is the second time for the team to win in the knockout stage match in the history of the team at the World Cup.
While many American soccer fans celebrated the victory, the referee Raphael Claus put a big flaw in the celebrations due to the red card given to the American Team striker Folarin Balogun. Fans took to the internet to express their displeasure with the referee’s decision, which required a VAR review.
The red card was issued in the 64th minute of the game, making the victory even more difficult for Team USA. The team eventually pulled out the win, but there is more damage from receiving a red card that could affect Team USA’s place in the round of 16 game against Belgium on Monday.
So, what does this all mean for Team USA? Here is a summary along with some of the best online comments on Balogun being red carded.
What is a red card?
Yellow cards and red cards are issued by the referees to comply with the rules of the match.
Yellow cards serve as a warning, while red cards are issued for more serious and serious violations.
What happens when a player receives a red card?
When a player receives a red card, they are immediately forced out of the game and their team is forced to play with a man down. For Team USA, Balogun had to leave the game and the USA needed to play the rest of the match with 10 players against Bosnia and Herzegovina with 11.
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In addition, a red carded player will be suspended for their team’s next match. Team USA will be able to play with 11 on the field against Belgium, but Balogun will not be able to play.
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Why are American fans angry?
For one, the red card was seen as controversial.
In the 64th minute of the game, the defender of Balogun and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tarik Muharemovic, both seemed to be looking for the ball. Balogun and Muharemovic collided, with Balogun’s hand stepping on Muharemovic’s ankle as both players fell to the ground.
Former FIFA commentators and referees have shared their opinions on whether Balogun deserved a red card, and there doesn’t seem to be much consensus. Some agree that it is a red card fault, others disagree.
Furthermore, the contact appeared to be accidental as Balogun and the Bosnia and Herzegovina player went for the ball. In addition, the Reds did not even issue a yellow card in the first place and required a VAR review before issuing any cards. After a review, the referee deemed the incident a “bad foul” and issued a red card.
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Balogun has been the top scorer of Team USA with three goals in three games he played. Not having him on the field against Belgium certainly puts the American team at a disadvantage.
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Some fans are angered by what they see as unfair refereeing throughout the tournament. A common example used by fans is when Messi was seen committing the same foul in the group stage games. Messi was not called for the foul and did not receive a red or yellow card.
Can a red card decision be appealed?
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Red cards and subsequent suspensions cannot be appealed, according to FIFA.
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To make matters worse, FIFA could review the foul and decide to suspend Balogun for extra games. This already happened in one game of the World Cup this year when FIFA increased the red card penalty against a Qatari player to five games after the foul that caused the Canadian player to break his leg.
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For now, though, Team USA is focusing on their round of 16 game against Belgium on Monday.
Topic
Sports
FIFA World Cup
