USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino has voiced his disagreement with the red card shown to striker Folarin Balogun during their 2-0 World Cup Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun received a direct red card after VAR review for stepping on Tarik Muharemovic's ankle.
Pochettino stated, "In my opinion, it's not a red card. There was no intention to step on the opponent's leg. If there is an intention to harm the opponent – agreed, I understand that. But in this case, it was a normal challenge where players fought for the ball, and their feet land on the ground, isn't that right?"
The coach also referenced a similar incident involving Lionel Messi in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria, where Messi was not sent off. Balogun's suspension means he will be unavailable for the upcoming Round of 16 clash against Belgium.