Pochettino Defends Balogun After Controversial Red Card
The manager of the US Men’s National Team, Mauricio Pochettino, staunchly defended forward Folarin Balogun following his ejection during Wednesday’s World Cup Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun received a red card for a clash with defender Tarik Muharemovic in the 61st minute.
“In my opinion, there was no reason for a red card. He didn’t mean to step on anyone,” Pochettino stated after the U.S. won the match 2-0, despite playing with only ten men.
“These things happen in football,” he added.
Pochettino expressed his disappointment regarding Balogun’s expulsion, especially since the player had already scored his third goal of the tournament in the first half. The decision, determined by a video assistant referee (VAR) review, now means Balogun will miss Monday’s upcoming match against Belgium.
“It was an unintentional incident, and he feels bad about it,” Pochettino shared. “Unfortunately, we can’t change what happened.”
“This is football, no doubt. He would have contributed significantly, and we hope to advance so he can play again,” he continued.
At the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Malik Tillman secured the victory for the U.S. with a free kick in the 82nd minute.
During the play, Balogun and Muharemovic were both aiming for the ball when there was contact that affected Muharemovic’s ankle. The VAR’s involvement relied on slow-motion and static replays, which critics argue isn’t aligned with standard protocol for assessing red card situations.
Former referee Andy Davies also criticized the VAR decision, stating, “The recommendation was made based on slow-motion replays, which violates VAR guidelines.”
Referee Rafael Kraus faced scrutiny for several contentious calls throughout the match.
“You know, the calls today seem to be 50-50, and unfortunately, they didn’t favor us,” Pochettino remarked. “Our players managed to stay composed, which was impressive under the circumstances.”
With this incident, Balogun makes history as the first player to be sent off after scoring in a men’s World Cup match since Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt in the 2006 final.
