Seattle, WA– There is a lot of buzz about this one, and it’s not just because the United States is back in the Round of 16 against Belgium, 12 years later. The big news that Folarin Balogun’s suspension has been rescinded has been a hot topic across the globe. FIFA went around some of the rules they made to make it happen, and it has sparked a whole lot of controversy. Outside of that story, there still will be a game played. The USMNT faced a Belgium side that knocked them out of the 2014 World Cup. That was the same game in which former Rapid Tim Howard made his record-breaking 16 saves. The United States still lost, and there are talks of avenging Howard and getting a win against Belgium on Monday. Will the United States be able to get it done? Let’s take a look at the matchup.
When: Monday, July 6th @ 6:00 p.m. MST
Where: Lumen Field / Seattle, Washington
TV/Streaming: Telemundo, Fubo Sports, Tubi, FOX One, FOX 4K, FOX, Peacock ES, FOX Sports 4K, FOX Sports
Controversy Galore in Relatively Straight Forward Win
The major talking point in the Round of 16 game comes from the Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. USMNT striker Folarin Balogun was sent off after VAR concluded he committed serious foul play in the middle of the second half. The forward had opened the scoring late into the first half, but was sent off for the last thirty minutes. The United States held on and added to its lead after the dismissal, but it was a major talking point of the game, as the US federation could not appeal the decision.
Despite some screenshots and slow-mo replays, the challenge was no red card. It probably didn’t rise to the level of a yellow card either. The problem was that the slo-mo and the screenshots paint a different picture, and it was a picture that the VAR room gave the head referee. The play was inconspicuous. It was an unfortunate thing that Balogun had stepped on the Bosnian defender. But the Bosnian defender runs through Balogun, and an off-balance Balogun had nowhere to step. There was no malicious intent. It was not a red-card tackle. It was very unfortunate that the United States was punished by being down a man for the rest of the game and supposedly missing out on Balogun in the next round.
Outside of the whole red card controversy, this was a professional win and performance from the USMNT. They had controlled this game throughout and responded perfectly to going down to ten men. It’s one thing to keep a lead. It takes some resilience to add to a lead when shown a red card. It felt like justice that the USMNT advanced to the next round. This could have very well been a disaster for the USA. They are not quite playing with house money yet, but this has avoided being a tournament failure for the United States.
Lineup Predictions (And Balogun Discussion):
Freese / Freeman, Ream (c), Richards / Dest, McKennie, Adams, A. Robinson / Pulisic, Tillman / Balogun
There’s not too much to talk about on lineups. In a tournament like the World Cup, you stick with what works, and this lineup works for the USMNT. The backups didn’t really make a great case for starting spots against Turkiye. If the team is without any major injuries or suspensions, consistency is a gift.
The big-ticket item is the surprising suspension delay by FIFA for Folarin Balogun. It was widely reported that the USA could not appeal his red card and Balogun would be forced to sit out their game against Belgium. This was a fact until Sunday morning, when news broke that FIFA had delayed his suspension, effectively rescinding it. This was huge news. It was great for the United States, which got its player back and is righted from an injustice. Other people seem to have a problem with it.
2-0 in the Round of 32. Photo Credit: Spencer Baldwin
This type of suspension manipulation isn’t unprecedented, as Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo received the same treatment so he could play in the first two group-stage games for Portugal. It is a little unfortunate that FIFA didn’t do this earlier. Belgium is rightfully feeling hard done by, as they had spent the week preparing to face either Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright. Had this been an after-game or next-morning decision, it’s a different story.
This decision has a little bit of stink on it. It is a decision that greatly benefits the United States. This is a decision that goes against some rules. It is also the rules that FIFA itself made. It felt like the consensus after the match was that it is weird that teams cannot appeal red cards. Now, FIFA has pretty much done what they could to appeal the red card, and the consensus has changed. If the United States had appealed and won, this wouldn’t be such a story.
It is good for the United States that Balogun can play. It was not a red card. FIFA has righted an injustice, just in the worst way possible. Now the USMNT has a target on their back. They will carry around this decision against Belgium and the rest of the tournament if they advance. It shouldn’t affect the team much, if at all. Very interesting series of events.
Comeback Kings Belgium Escape Meh World Cup
There was a moment before I got on the train to the USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina game in San Francisco when I mentally jotted down that Senegal would be the opponent for the US if they advanced. Belgium was 2-0 down with five minutes to go. They didn’t even use any second-half stoppage time; they scored in the 85th and 89th minutes of the match to send it to extra time. Belgium then won on a last-second penalty moments before penalty kicks.
It was looking to be a very disappointing tournament for one of the heavyweights in the world. A 1-1 tie against Egypt wasn’t completely shocking, but disappointing. A 0-0 game against Iran started to ring the alarm bells for the Red Devils. Two draws in two very winnable games were not a good start. However, a 5-1 win against New Zealand was enough for Belgium to top their group. Now the winners of groups D and G face off in the round of 16.
Belgium has far too good a team to be having the World Cup they are having. The lineup is filled with world-class talent. Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Youri Telemans, Leandro Trossard, and Thibaut Courtois are some of the standout players in that group. The USMNT fell to this Belgian side 5-2 in a friendly on March 28th. While the circumstances will be completely different, it still rings true that this Belgian side is good. Age is one concern with this squad, however, and everyone on that list other than Jermey Doku is in and around the 30-year-old mark. The United States will have their hands full with this Belgian team, but could benefit from playing a Belgian side not playing its best soccer.
Prediction: The United States rides on the back of home-field advantage and wins an exciting one. The USA goes to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win.
Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. Support us via our Patreon starting at $5/month. You can also make a one-time contribution via Tip Jar. We’re always looking for new talent. Let us know if you’re interested in covering Colorado Soccer.
Matt Pollard 
Eamon Shaw 