Balogun Scores in U.S. 2-0 World Cup Win, Then Sees Red Before Belgium

Q: Was Balogun's red card a fair call or another example of VAR overreach in modern football?

Based on the available details, the red card looks more likely to be a fair application of the laws than a clear case of VAR overreach. The key fact is the nature of the contact: Balogun was reported to have stepped on Tarik Muharemovic’s leg during a challenge, and the incident was identified as serious foul play. Under IFAB and FIFA guidance, intent is not the deciding factor. If a player makes studs-on-leg or studs-on-calf contact with enough force and endangers an opponent’s safety, a red card is typically justified even if the player was trying to play the ball. That is also where VAR fits in. VAR is meant to intervene only for clear and obvious errors on potential red-card incidents. If the referee was sent to an on-field review and upheld or issued a red after seeing the replay, that usually means the footage showed dangerous contact meeting the serious-foul-play threshold. In that sense, this appears closer to VAR correcting or confirming a major disciplinary call than inventing one. The argument for overreach would be that football contact can look worse in slow motion than in real time, and critics often say VAR encourages harsh punishment for accidental challenges. But with the information currently available, there is no strong evidence that this was a marginal or manufactured decision. So unless fuller replay angles show minimal force or glancing contact, the balance of evidence supports the dismissal as a defensible call rather than modern VAR excess.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 2

45th-minute striker Folarin Balogun put the United States ahead in a 2-0 knockout win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, then was sent off after a VAR-reviewed challenge in the second half.
63rd-minute referee review upgraded Balogun's foul on Tarik Muharemovic to a red card for stepping on the defender's ankle, forcing the U.S. to finish with 10 men and ruling him out against Belgium.
82nd-minute Malik Tillman goal sealed the result anyway, sending the U.S. into the Round of 16 for its first World Cup knockout victory since 2002.
LeBron James praised Balogun's "Silencer" celebration after the goal, while fans and sports figures including Dirk Nowitzki and J.J. Watt blasted the red-card decision as overly harsh.