Santa Clara [US], July 2 (ANI): After the US’s win in the round of 32 fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which involved striker Flo Balogun being shown a red card and sent off after a tackle with an opponent, former US footballer Alexi Lalas questioned why Argentina superstar Lionel Messi escaped any notice
Balogun had a mixed bag night during his side’s round of 32 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. While he scored a goal, he also joined an unwanted list of players to have scored a goal and been sent off in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.
Balogun continued to be an absolute gun player for his side, netting his third goal of the tournament, joining Bert Patenaude (4 in 1930) and Landon Donovan (3 in 2010) as the third USA player to score three or more goals in a single edition, as per Opta Analyst.
Balogun was absolutely magical on the field, creating multiple chances, having multiple touches in the opposition’s box and scoring a goal. However, in the second half, he got a red card for planting his foot on Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle and was sent off. Now, as per FIFA’s mandate, after receiving a red card, he will miss one match due to suspension, the clash against Belgium for a slot in the quarterfinals, scheduled for July 7, 5:30 am IST.
He also became the fourth player after Zinedine Zidane (2006 final), Ronaldinho (2002 quarter-final) and Garrincha (1962 semi-final) to have scored a goal and been sent off during a FIFA World Cup knockout match.
Following the match, Lalas pointed out how Messi avoided punishment for a studs-up challenge against an Algerian player during his campaign opener, which saw him score his first-ever FIFA World Cup hat-trick, saying that Balogun receiving a red card was a “crap call" and if “his name was Messi, he would still be on field".
“That is not a red card," Lalas said on the State of the Union Podcast as quoted by Goal.com. “I understand that in the moment it looks bad, and when you see it on video it looks bad. But you have to have a feel and understanding of what’s going on. I thought it was a crap call," he said.
“It should be said that if his name was Messi, as we have seen earlier in the tournament, he would still be on the field and he would still be able to play in Seattle on Monday," he continued.
US head coach Mauricio Pochettino said that Flo Balogun should not have got a red card, saying that his tackle with Tarik Muharemovic was an “accident".
Speaking to the reporters after the match, Pochettino said as quoted by Reuters, “Never was this a red card. Watching it on TV, never was there intention to step on the player."
“That was a normal action in football. That happened by accident, and it is never intentional. That is why for me it was never a red card," he added.
The coach also said that Balogun was feeling sad and disappointed in the dressing.
“But he is also happy because we qualified… He needs to understand that this type of situation happens. I hope that, for sure, he is going to be able to help us again. I hope that we go to the next round," he added.
Starting off, Bosnia forced a corner but could not make the most of the opportunity. USA created some early chances courtesy of Christian Pulisic and Flo Balogun.
Bosnia’s attempt in the 8th minute was punched away. In the 31st minute, a goal from Balogun was turned away for offside.
In the 45th minute, the crowd came alive for Balogun, who finally got the fruits of his hard work after being an absolute livewire on the pitch, receiving the ball from Sergino Dest, which took a nick off Muharemovic, but he wasted no time in driving it past goalie Nikola Vasilj. With this, he registered the third goal of his tournament debut, becoming the second USA player to score three goals in a WC.
Moments later, another hit from Balogun hit the bar, with the scoreline 1-0 in the US’s favour. With over 62 per cent ball possession, five shots and 19 touches in the opposition box, the USA were dominating with their fast gameplay and ability to consistently make inroads into Bosnia’s defence. 14 of these touches were recorded by Balogun himself.
After the break, Bosnia made three subs, with Dzeko down while attempting to press, clutching his quad.
Bosnia got some possession in the starting minutes of the second half, but a Katic attempt from 40 yards turned out to be a waste. In the 61st minute, Balogun and Muharemovic had a nasty tangle, causing the Bosnian to go down with a whack to his ankle. The American hero was shown a red card for his nasty challenge and sent off, while Muharemovic was back on his feet.
In the 82nd minute, Malik Tillman added another goal to the USA’s tally, and the scoreline was undisturbed till the final whistle. (ANI)
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