USA eliminated in round of 16 by Belgium – Balogun breaks silence on suspension affair

In the second half, Vanaken punished a severe blunder by US goalkeeper Matt Freese, who had sprinted far out of his box, with a lob from around 30 meters into the empty net to make it 3:1 (57th). Defender Tim Ream had been able to prevent the third goal, but failed to make proper contact, allowing the ball to trickle into the net. Romelu Lukaku had the final word, scoring his 93rd international goal in stoppage time to make it 4:1 (90th+3).

Background: The Balogun case

The match was overshadowed from the start by the unprecedented case surrounding the lifting of Balogun's suspension. The 25-year-old center-forward from AS Monaco had been shown a red card in the 64th minute of the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina (2:0) after an unlucky stamp on the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic. FIFA had however surprisingly suspended the ban on Sunday evening, citing Article 27 of its disciplinary code.

As US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday, he had called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and asked for a "review." "I have a lot of knowledge of sports," Trump said. Infantino also acknowledged the call. Trump had additionally discredited the Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who had officiated the USA's match against Paraguay, as "a bit suspect" at a press conference at the White House. Infantino personally placed the World Cup trophy on the President's desk in the Oval Office, Trump reported slyly.

Balogun speaks out

After the match, Balogun spoke out for the first time about the commotion surrounding his person. "Of course it's controversial," the striker said, expressing understanding for the uproar. He had accepted the decision when he saw the red card, and he had accepted it when he was told he could play. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia reported that Balogun had approached him after the final whistle: "He came to me, I liked that. He's not to blame. He did nothing wrong. I respect him."

International reactions

US coach Mauricio Pochettino congratulated the Belgians on advancing. "It wasn't our day today," he said. "Everyone saw from the start that we didn't get into the game. We were never in the game. Even when we scored, we conceded again in the next action." On the pitch, Balogun, who had received loud applause during warm-up, had just two touches in the opening 25 minutes and remained largely ineffective throughout. Not until the 82nd minute did he test goalkeeper Courtois, who was unbeatable.

Reactions to the lifting of the suspension were sharp around the world. UEFA called the episode an "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable" act and an "attack on the integrity of the competition." The European confederation declared that a "red line" had been crossed. The Belgian Football Association had legally challenged the FIFA decision, but its request was dismissed on the grounds that Belgium was not a party to the proceedings. The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) also stood by referee Claus, who had been subjected to criticism by Trump.

Consequences for football

In the USA, reactions were divided. US Senator Ted Cruz praised Trump's involvement: "On behalf of all Americans, I thank you for making sure we got rid of the ridiculous red card." The tabloid New York Post ran the headline "The President played the Trump card!" Criticism, meanwhile, came from Christine Brennan, longtime sports editor of USA Today: "This has noticeably damaged the image of this World Cup." Britain's Daily Mail also wrote of "shameless Donald Trump and his obsequious puppet Infantino" having dragged this World Cup "into a cesspit." In Belgium, the pardon caused considerable anger among fans.

Former FIFA referee Markus Merk expressed shock in an interview with SWR: "I was completely floored. Anyone who loves football can only be appalled." Experts believe the case could have ripple effects all the way down to amateur football – Merk warned: "This will haunt us from August – in the Bundesliga, in the second division, all the way down to the local leagues." Jürgen Klopp also vented his anger on MagentaTV: "These two people, who both know nothing about football, should have nothing to do with it."

Outlook: Belgium face Spain

For Belgium, who had advanced in the tournament after a disappointing group stage and after coming back from a 0:2 deficit in the round of 16 against Senegal to win 3:2, the journey continues. On Friday (9:00 p.m. CEST) Garcia's side will face reigning European champions Spain in the quarterfinal in Inglewood near Los Angeles, after Spain had earlier defeated Portugal in the Iberian derby through a late goal from Mikel Merino (90th+1) to win 1:0. A sour note from a Belgian perspective: midfielder Amadou Onana had to be substituted injured after just 21 minutes; the severity of the 25-year-old's injury, who is moving from PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich, was not initially disclosed. Garcia spoke of "a dark cloud over the evening."

The USA, whose elimination sealed the end of the co-host era at this World Cup, had previously already lost fellow co-hosts Canada (0:3 against Morocco) and Mexico (2:3 against England). Pochettino's side had put in some impressive performances during the tournament, but fell short of expectations against Belgium. Christian Pulisic, who had to be substituted early due to injury, was unable to make an impact. For the US fans in Seattle, the only takeaway after the final whistle was that the political backdrop had not inspired their team's sporting performance. On the contrary: the Belgian players celebrated their fourth goal with a dance that bore a striking resemblance to the US President's signature moves — a bitter twist for the hosts.