Balogun Sees Red in 64th Minute, Ruled Out of U.S. Belgium Match

Q: Without its top scorer, can the USMNT break its 13-game European winless streak in the World Cup knockout round?

Yes, but the margin for error is now much smaller. Balogun’s suspension is a real blow. He has been the USMNT’s most productive attacker at this World Cup, with three goals in four games, and FIFA rules make the one-match ban automatic and non-appealable. Against Belgium, the U.S. loses not just finishing but also the “complete No. 9” presence Balogun has given them. The bigger point is that the “13-game European winless streak in the World Cup knockout round” is not supported by the record. In World Cup knockout matches against European teams, the U.S. has actually lost four straight: to Italy in 1934, Germany in 2002, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. More broadly, though, the U.S. is on a long winless run against UEFA opposition overall, with recent reporting putting it at 13 matches without a win and only seven goals scored in that span. That makes Belgium a very difficult draw, especially with Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku still central figures from the side that beat the U.S. in 2014. The Americans can still threaten if Mauricio Pochettino reshapes the front line with Ricardo Pepi or uses Christian Pulisic more centrally, with Timothy Weah added out wide. Pulisic’s creativity gives them a path. So the answer is that the U.S. can break the streak, but without Balogun it becomes an upset scenario rather than an even matchup.

Q: Will Pochettino risk moving his star playmaker to striker for the crucial knockout match against Belgium?

Probably not as his primary plan, though Pochettino may keep it as an in-game option. The strongest evidence points to Ricardo Pepi starting at center forward against Belgium. Balogun’s suspension is automatic and unappealable, and replacing him with a natural No. 9 is the least disruptive solution. Pulisic is the team’s main creator and most dangerous ball-progressor, and moving him centrally from the start would risk weakening the U.S. in the role where he most influences matches. That matters even more against Belgium. The U.S. has struggled badly against UEFA opposition, going winless in 13 straight such matches and scoring sparingly. Against a higher-level opponent, Pochettino is likely to want Pulisic facing the game, receiving wider or between the lines, rather than asking him to play with his back to goal as a full-time striker. The tactical alternatives mentioned around the team support that reading. One is Pepi up top. Another is a more fluid front line in which Pulisic can drift inside while Timothy Weah provides width. That is different from formally making Pulisic the striker. It preserves his freedom and keeps the attack less predictable. So the smart expectation is that Pochettino avoids building the lineup around Pulisic as a true No. 9. If the U.S. is chasing the game, he could still shift Pulisic centrally later, but starting Pepi looks like the safer and more likely move.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 2

Folarin Balogun was sent off after a VAR review in the 64th minute for catching Tarik Muharemovic on the leg and foot, triggering an automatic one-game suspension that rules him out against Belgium.
The U.S. still beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 with 10 men after Balogun's opener and Malik Tillman's free kick, securing its first World Cup knockout-stage win since 2002.
Mauricio Pochettino and Weston McKennie both said the challenge did not merit a red card, but FIFA rules do not allow an appeal of a standard one-match ban.
The suspension leaves Pochettino to reshape his attack for Belgium, with Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright the other forwards available.