The United States Men’s National Team will have star striker Folarin Balogun available for Monday’s round of 16 World Cup showdown against Belgium after all.
While Balogun was set to be suspended after he was issued a straight red card for a foul during the Americans’ round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the red-card ban was suspended, FIFA announced.
Dan Sheldon and Adam Crafton of The Athletic were first to report the decision on Sunday.
According to Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
This comes after The Athletic previously reported a FIFA official clarified that a team cannot appeal the red card or the suspension.
Yet Sunday’s development is not without precedent.
Sheldon and Crafton noted Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was able to avoid a suspension at the start of the World Cup despite his three-game ban because the last two games of the punishment were suspended for “a one-year probation period.”
Balogun will be available against Belgium, but he may need to play with an additional amount of caution.
After all, Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code also says, “If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
The straight red card was a controversial one at best, as Bosnia and Herzegovina avoided yellow cards for a number of physical fouls and tackles in the first half before Balogun was issued the straight red in the second half for his infraction.
United States manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters, “For me, never is a red card. I watched it after on TV, and never was the intention to step up of the player. That was a normal action in football that happened by accident. It’s never intentional, that is why for me, it’s never a red card.”
The Americans were up 1-0 at the time of Balogun’s ejection and were able to add another despite playing shorthanded the rest of the way to secure the 2-0 victory. Balogun scored the opening goal and had another called back for offside as he continued what has been an excellent individual effort this tournament.
He also scored two goals in the group-stage win over Paraguay and has been the focal point of the United States’ attack for extended stretches.
And now he will be able to continue serving as that focal point Monday.
