The United States are into the World Cup Round of 16 on home soil. That should be the headline. Instead, everyone is talking about a foot, an ankle, and a referee's decision that nearly unravelled the whole thing.
Folarin Balogun and Tarik Muharemović went for the same ball, there was contact — Balogun's foot landing on his opponent's ankle — and the referee reached for red. From the stands, from the bench, from just about every angle replayed on the screens inside the stadium, it looked accidental. The kind of challenge that happens a dozen times in a World Cup match and earns nothing more than a free-kick and a wince.
Mauricio Pochettino did not take it well. He rarely does when he thinks his side have been wronged, and this time the fury felt entirely justified. The USA, already navigating the pressure of a home tournament with a nation watching that doesn't yet fully understand the sport but very much wants to win it, suddenly had to hold on with ten men.
Credit where it's due: they held on. Weston McKennie and the rest of the midfield shifted, compressed, and did the unglamorous work that knockout football demands. Bosnia and Herzegovina pushed for the opening they needed but couldn't find a way through a US side that had suddenly discovered something useful — a siege mentality.
The final whistle brought relief more than celebration. Pochettino pumped his fist. The crowd, which had spent the last stretch of the match in collective anxiety, finally exhaled.
Here's where it gets complicated. Balogun could face a suspension for the Round of 16, pending FIFA's disciplinary review — though whether the red card can be successfully appealed given the subjective nature of the call remains an open question. The USA may well have to plan their knockout match without one of their most dangerous forwards, but nothing is confirmed until FIFA's process runs its course.
Pochettino has options, but Balogun's movement and finishing had been a live threat all tournament. Losing him — even for one match, even on home soil with a crowd behind them — would be a real problem. The USA are through. The conversation about how they got there, and who they'll be missing when they get back out there, is only just starting.
--- Sources: The Guardian; BBC Sport
The United States are into the World Cup Round of 16 on home soil. That should be the headline. Instead, everyone is talking about a foot, an ankle, and a referee's decision that nearly unravelled the whole thing.
Sources
The Guardian — Football
Flagside articles are original write-ups synthesised from multiple sources. We cite every outlet that fed into the piece.
Pick of the night's matches, what the transfer window's doing, and the one column you should read today. No ads. No tips. No operators.
One-click unsubscribe. We do not share emails.
“Stays on World Cup — different angle, same beat.”
The host nation are through. The crowd is loud. And Malik Tillman is the reason everyone is talking about the USMNT right now. **Editors: this piece is held pending confirmation of opponent, scoreline
“Stays on World Cup — different angle, same beat.”
The host nation are through. The crowd is loud. And Malik Tillman is the reason everyone is talking about the USMNT right now. **Editors: this piece is held pending confirmation of opponent, scoreline
