Folarin Balogun: Ban reversal caused ‘a lot of outside noise, and that’s hard to avoid’

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/14/folarin-balogun-ban-usa-world-cup

3 points · 6 comments · view on lemmy.world

6 Comments

roserose56@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 47d (1 reply)

Who cares? Red card is a red card, like the guy who touched the ball with his back hand facing the goalkeeper, yet it's a penalty.
Why not bend rules for others too? Fuck of big USA boy, fuck you and USA with all its troubles.

CombatWombat@feddit.online · 3 pts · 47d

It is a pretty weak complaint. Yes, people talked about the obvious cheating? Did you expect otherwise? If you wanted to avoid the noise, you could have, I dunno, served the red card suspension?

specseaweed@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 47d (1 reply)

I don't think there's any question that the whole thing had an effect on the team. Every single player played horrible with the notable exception of Balogun (who was just ok). It's a bummer any of it happened at all.

sanguinepar@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 47d

Not just that, but it was clear Belgium were really fired up for the match. They were absolutely relentless for the first 10-15 minutes and the US never really got back into the game after that.

CombatWombat@feddit.online · 0 pts · 47d (1 reply)

I couldn't disagree more. The reason we issue red cards is to protect players, not punish them; you should get one for anything that endangers yourself or another, regardless of your intent

When something’s not intentional it should never be a red card

Ilandar@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 47d

It always amazes me how many professional players don't understand pretty basic rules of the sport. You have been able to get sent off for serious foul play for a long time (Balogun's entire life) and intent to make a tackle or harm the opponent doesn't need to come into it:

Serious foul play

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.

Can Balogun explain why he was pushing and stepping on his opponent if he wasn't challenging for the ball? Can he explain how raking his studs down the calf of his opponent, before putting his entire weight on their Achilles, does not endanger their safety?