World Cup drama increases around USA vs. Belgium clash

SEATTLE – One of the biggest matches in US men’s national team history has taken on a new complexion.

As the USMNT and Belgium count down to Monday’s massive FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match at Seattle Sounders FC's home stadium, debates swirl over the dramatic development that star striker Folarin Balogun is eligible to play despite his VAR-imposed red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week.

“I didn’t know that at FIFA’s headquarters, July 5 is the same thing as April 1 in Europe,” declared Belgium manager Rudi Garcia in French during his team’s pregame press conference on Sunday afternoon, with the Royal Belgian Football Association releasing a statement declaring itself “astonished by FIFA's decision” to commit Balogun’s one-match suspension to a one-year probationary period instead, and threatening legal action.

“The Belgian federation isn’t just defending itself. It’s not just defending the national team. It’s defending football in general,” said Garcia. “It’s defending its integrity, defending its ethics. From memory, it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there’s been this type of decision.”

Breaking: Folarin Balogun will be available to play in USA's Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday, FIFA announced.The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has suspended the red card issued to the USA striker during their Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. pic.twitter.com/Vei4RKDKfP

Not long afterwards, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino presented a very different viewpoint.

The Yanks’ boss framed FIFA’s decision as justice being done to rectify an unfair ejection that had already inflicted undue adversity on his side, with the US camp steadfast that Balogun’s stomp on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemović’s foot and ankle was an unintentional play similar to others seen in this tournament, meriting a yellow card at most.

“It was never a red card. There was a mistake, call it what you will, and the resulting punishment is far too severe, especially for an action that was unintentional,” said ‘Poch’ in Spanish.

“Everyone has said so; 99.9% of people in the football world have called it an unjust sanction. Furthermore, there are precedents where sanctions have been suspended or deferred, so I don't understand why anyone would be surprised. This isn't something extraordinary that only happens to us; it has happened before.

“If anyone was harmed in this situation, it was the United States. If anyone tries to argue that we weren't punished, playing 30 or 35 minutes a man down in a World Cup knockout match, well, there’s no extraordinary benefit we’re gaining here. Ultimately, we aren't playing the victim, but we certainly aren't the villains of this story, either.”

Mauricio Pochettino shares his thoughts on Flo Balogun's lifted suspension and availability pic.twitter.com/zQ5ByOvduR

The story has been rendered that much more convoluted by multiple media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump called his FIFA counterpart, Gianni Infantino, on Wednesday to lobby for a review of Balogun’s suspension, despite there being no known process by which U.S. Soccer could file an appeal.

“No, we cannot mix that. We cannot mix that. That is a decision from FIFA with the evidence that happened before, and that's it,” said Pochettino when asked about the potential repercussions of that sort of political involvement, using a Formula 1 auto-racing metaphor to contend that FIFA and other governing bodies must ensure high standards for Video Review officiating.

“The VAR is not the problem,” he said. “It is who is going to drive the Ferrari or the Mercedes-Benz, that is the key. To lose [the ability to play in] a game in the World Cup is tough for a player.”

Pulisic tells @JennyTaft how happy he is to see Flo Balogun smiling after his suspension was lifted pic.twitter.com/apWeI4EyYk

All this furor pushed the March friendly between these two sides, a 5-2 Belgium win in Atlanta that raised questions about the USMNT’s readiness for this tournament, that much further into the background.

Yanks captain Tim Ream has said that match won’t matter compared to the huge stakes and pressure of this clash, and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suggested something similar as he discussed the danger posed by a co-host nation.

“We know tomorrow’s match against the host nation will be tough; the odds are stacked against us, and obviously, they’re very eager to beat us, just as we are to beat them,” the Real Madrid star said in Spanish.

“They have a lot of quality up front; they arrive well in the box, they create a lot of 1v1s for the goalkeeper. … We'll be ready for the game, for the 11 that will start.”

MD-1 Mode. pic.twitter.com/1gAtIWD8fd

Meanwhile, the USMNT receive a massive lift from Balogun, their leading scorer at this tournament, being able to lead the line after all.

And it's with the knowledge that if the US win, they'll meet the Portugal-Spain winner in Los Angeles for a July 10 quarterfinal.

“In the back, it gives you a lot of confidence in the guys up front; if you just give the ball to them, they go and do their thing,” said defender Chris Richards. “Now they've been doing their work, they've been scoring a lot of goals for us. It's been really nice.

“We were already up for the game, so we're going into this game tomorrow with a lot of confidence, but also knowing that we're playing against a really strong Belgian side. So knowing that now we consider that we do have our starting striker back, it's very exciting, and it can give us maybe a little extra boost.”