Folarin Balogun gave Team USA the lead against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night. While he played a crucial role in the 2-0 victory, he won't see action in the Round of 16 after the referee showed him a controversial red card in the second half.
The official sent the 5-foot-10 striker off after a contentious moment in the 64th minute. He deemed Balogun's foul on Tarik Muharemovic a dangerous play. Balogun faces suspension in the Round of 16 game, and, unfortunately, Team USA officials won't be able to appeal it.
The Athletic reached out to a FIFA official to confirm whether Balogun's red card can be appealed. The unnamed official said no, pointing to Article 66.4 of the rulebook.
"A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures."
The Americans will face Belgium in the next round, with a quarterfinal ticket up for grabs. It won't be easy, as the Belgians showed their dominance in a March friendly, winning 5-2 in Atlanta.
Balogun has scored three goals in this year's World Cup, including a brace against Paraguay in their opening game. The 24-year-old Monaco forward is the USA's top striker. He bagged two Man of the Match awards in two appearances in the group stage.
Ricardo Pepi and Patrick Agyemang are the candidates to replace him on Monday. However, the defense must be at its best as Belgium possesses a potent offense that can pile on goals quickly.
