Pochettino Weighs 4 Balogun Replacements for Belgium After USA Striker's Red Card

Q: With his star striker out, will Pochettino risk his winning formation or trust an out-of-form replacement?

Pochettino is most likely to keep the U.S. structure intact and trust Ricardo Pepi rather than overhaul a system that has worked. The strongest evidence points to a like-for-like personnel change. The U.S. has won its last two knockout matches with the same basic setup, posting a 6-1 goal difference, and Balogun’s suspension removes finishing but not the broader logic of the shape. Pepi is the natural replacement: he scored 19 times for PSV this season, including in the Champions League, and gives the U.S. a more traditional penalty-box presence and aerial option. There is risk in that choice. Pepi has not consistently delivered for the national team under Pochettino and has gone without a U.S. goal since 2024. He is also a different type of striker from Balogun, who stretches defenses with runs in behind and has built chemistry within this attack. Still, Pepi’s strong pre-tournament showing against Senegal, especially his link play with Christian Pulisic, gives Pochettino a workable model. The alternatives look less convincing. Haji Wright is stylistically closer to Balogun in some ways, but his lack of recent minutes makes a knockout start unlikely. Using Pulisic as a false nine would weaken the U.S. on the wing, where he is most dangerous, and a two-striker switch would likely cost the team one of its key midfielders. Pochettino has shown tactical flexibility, but the balance of evidence suggests he will adapt the personnel, not the identity.

3 articles · Updated · FOX Sports · Jul 2

Monday's round-of-16 match against Belgium will force the United States to replace Folarin Balogun, suspended after a 64th-minute red card in the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ricardo Pepi is the leading option because he can slot into the same setup that produced 6-1 aggregate wins over Paraguay and Bosnia, even if his profile differs from Balogun's.
Pepi brings 19 PSV goals and stronger box play, but Pochettino may need to tweak the attack toward the counterattacking model used in the 3-2 pre-tournament win over Senegal.
Haji Wright, a Pulisic false-nine setup, or a two-striker surprise remain alternatives, though each would require bigger changes to a lineup that has already won three World Cup matches.