Folarin Balogun available for USMNT vs. Belgium as red card ban suspended

Folarin Balogun will be available to play the USMNT’s round-of-16 World Cup match against Belgium with his one-game red-card ban now suspended, sources briefed on the process have told The Athletic.

The 25-year-old received a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic, a sanction which is automatically accompanied by a one-game suspension under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the tournament.

Multiple FIFA officials told The Athletic after the game that a team is not able to appeal against a red card or the subsequent suspension.

However, sources with knowledge of the matter, who spoke anonymously to protect relationships, say Balogun is set to be available to face Rudi Garcia’s side as his ban has been suspended.

Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code states that “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”

It adds: “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.”

Cristiano Ronaldo avoided a suspension for the start of the World Cup in similar circumstances after FIFA handed the Portugal captain a three-match ban, but with the final two games suspended for “a one-year probation period”.

FIFA and U.S. Soccer have been approached for comment.

Balogun has started in all but one game for the tournament co-hosts, scoring twice in their opener against Paraguay. The forward was subsequently rested against Turkey in the final group-stage game before returning to score against Bosnia in the first-half of the 2-0 win in Santa Clara, Calif.

He has registered at least one goal contribution in every World Cup game he has played in so far.

Balogun was not immediately sent off after the incident. The forward had reached out to position himself as he pursued a ball up the left sideline after an hour of play, landing on the back of Muharemovic’s leg and raking down to his ankle.

The on-pitch referee Raphael Claus didn’t initially show Balogun a red card but was instructed to go to the pitchside monitor to review the incident, before telling Levi’s Stadium Balogun had committed a “serious foul” and would be sent off.

The laws of soccer, which are decided by the International Football Association Board, state that “a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

“Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.”

Suspensions cannot appealed under the terms of FIFA’s competition rules with world soccer’s governing body’s independent disciplinary committee holding the power to increase a ban to encompass more games should it see fit.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron’s one-game ban for covering his mouth in a situation of confrontation was not increased, but Assim Madibo, the Qatar midfielder, saw his suspension changed to a five-match ban for his tackle that broke the leg of Canada’s Ismaël Koné.

The decision to dismiss Balogun drew heavy criticism from his U.S. teammates as well as supporters and television analysts alike.

“For me? Never a red card,” head coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “Never an intention to step on the player. It was a normal action in football that happened by accident.”

“It’s just so unfortunate, honestly,” star player Christian Pulisic said. “Looking back at it, it just seems so harsh. I just told him, he’s done so much for us, and now we got his back.”

Now, Balogun is free to face Belgium, with the game kicking off at 8pm ET at Lumen Field, Seattle on Monday.