Balogun didn’t deserve a red card: USA coach questions referee’s decision
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino strongly defended Folarin Balogun after the striker’s controversial sending-off in the 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, insisting the forward “never” deserved a red card as the hosts booked their place at the last 16 World Cup on Wednesday.
The victory secured First elimination win for the United States at the World Cup since 2002 and set up a last-16 tie against Belgium, but the celebrations were dampened by the suspension of Balogun, who will miss the tie following an automatic one-match suspension.
Balogun fired the Americans ahead just before halftime with his third goal of the tournament before receiving a straight red card in the 64th minute. The forward was initially booked after his foot landed on the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic during a scramble for the ball, but the decision was changed to a sending off following a VAR review.
Pochettino was left furious, claiming the incident was accidental and should never have warranted a red card.
“It was never a red card for me,” the Argentine said after the match. “There was never any intention to step on a player. It was a normal action in football when you fight for the ball. Maybe it looks worse in slow motion, but it was never intentional.”
Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez supported the referee’s decision, but Pochettino remained unconvinced. “He is very disappointed because it was an unintentional action,” Pochettino said of Balogun.
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“But he is also happy because we qualified. These things happen in football. I hope we go to the next round because then he will be available to help us again.”
Christian Pulisic also defended his team-mate, saying Balogun “didn’t deserve the red card” and called the decision “unfortunate”.
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The sending off could have derailed the hosts but they responded with one of the most disciplined displays of the tournament to shut out Bosnia and seal a memorable win.
Malik Tillman put the result beyond doubt with a superb free-kick following Balogun’s dismissal to cap off another influential display from the midfielder.
“It was amazing,” Pochettino said of Tillman.
“Malik is an amazing player, full of talent. We knew he had the quality to score from a free kick. I’m so happy for him.”
Pochettino reserved the highest praise for his side’s resilience, saying their composure reflected the progress they had made throughout the tournament.
“It’s hard to describe our feelings because the players were amazing,” he said.
“There are no easy games at the World Cup. The maturity of this team and the way we’ve grown over the last five or six weeks has been incredible.”
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
02 Jul 2026 10:49 IST