The United States is through to the knockout rounds of the World Cup it is hosting. The catch is that it must play the biggest game of its tournament without the man it counts on to score.
The sending-off
Folarin Balogun was shown a red card in the second half of the U.S. group-stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, dismissed in the 64th minute after a video review for dragging his studs down the back of a defender's leg, ESPN reported. The timing stung: Balogun had opened the scoring shortly before halftime before the dismissal left the Americans a man down.
Balogun and the U.S. camp regard the call as harsh, but the outcome is not in dispute. Under FIFA's disciplinary rules, a straight red card carries an automatic one-match suspension, NBC News reported — and there is no appeal available for a standard one-game ban. A federation can only challenge a suspension when FIFA imposes more than the automatic one game, which did not happen here.
Why it matters
Balogun, the American-raised forward who chose to represent the United States, has become the team's central striker, the player its attack is built to feed. Losing him for a round-of-16 tie is the kind of blow that can reshape a game plan, forcing coach Mauricio Pochettino to rejig his forward line for a Belgium side with the pedigree and personnel to punish it.
Publicly, Balogun's message to teammates has been to move on and win without him — the standard, and sensible, line from a player who cannot help on the field. The U.S. has other attacking options, and a knockout match can turn on a single moment from anyone.
What's next
The United States faces Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday in Seattle, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake. For a host nation eager to make a deep run in front of its own fans, it is a daunting draw made harder by an empty spot up front. The Americans wanted their marquee game to showcase their best team. Instead, the story going in is about the player who won't be on the pitch — and whether the U.S. can advance without him.
