The scandal surrounding Folarin Balogun's red card loomed over the United States' elimination from the World Cup, following a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16. The atmosphere was charged with controversy, with many suggesting that the forward's situation could have shaken the team, but the coaching staff and American players rejected this explanation for the setback.
The defeat made it clear who came out on top: Belgium dominated the match and imposed a crushing pace, with the United States unable to respond adequately. Mauricio Pochettino, the United States head coach, was keen to distance any responsibility from the Balogun case regarding the team's performance. In statements after the game, quoted by Sam Borden of ESPN, Pochettino was assertive: “It did not affect our performance. It is not an excuse. I think we were not good enough. It was not our day. We did not act in the way we were supposed to or show our quality. Everything that was happening around [with the Balogun situation] was around us, but I don't think it was a situation that affected the group.”
Balogun, it should be noted, was available to play against Belgium despite having received a red card in the previous match, a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Later, it was revealed that the then-President of the United States, Donald Trump, called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the suspension imposed on the forward.
On the field, the most embarrassing moment for the Americans came when goalkeeper Matt Freese made a glaring error, allowing Belgium to score the third goal after Tim Ream failed to clear the ball. Despite the negative media impact of the Balogun incident, Tim Ream assured that the controversy did not affect the locker room: “It had no impact,” said the defender. “External noise. We have done a good job with this group in keeping the external noise… external. It has nothing to do with us as players and with the preparation for the games. It's one of those situations in the world we live in. We were fully focused on ourselves as a group and team and completely focused on the game, without worrying about what was said or debated outside of our world.”
However, not everyone ignored the controversy: the official Belgian national team's social media account could not resist and posted a provocative message — “Cancel this” — after the game.
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Midfielder Tyler Adams, for his part, acknowledged Belgium's superiority and downplayed Balogun's role in the match: “Was anyone a dominant presence on the field today?” Adams asked, pointing out that Balogun tried to be a presence and cause problems but had few opportunities. “I think he tried to be a presence and a nuisance today, and at times he managed to get behind the ball and do what he knows. He just didn't have many opportunities today.”
With the elimination confirmed, the North American group will have to reflect on a game in which nothing went right and where, according to themselves, the controversy over the red card turned out to be just external noise, with no real impact on preparation or collective performance.
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