Balogun Silences Bosnia. Then a Red Card Silences Him Back.

The U.S. men’s national team punched its ticket to the Round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night in San Francisco. But the celebration came with a real gut punch.

Folarin Balogun scored in the 45th minute, a scrappy finish off a loose ball in the box that broke a frustrating first-half deadlock. His immediate reaction? The LeBron James silencer. Both hands down, the stare. It was the striker’s third goal of this World Cup and his second of the night — technically. A goal minutes earlier got called back for offside, so maybe he had a little extra to let out.

But here is where the night gets complicated. In the second half, Balogun was shown a red card after a VAR review. Replays showed he accidentally stepped on the ankle of a Bosnia player while fighting for a ball. It didn’t look malicious. It didn’t matter. The referee sent him off, and the USMNT had to play the final 36 minutes with 10 men.

Balogun will now miss Monday’s Round of 16 matchup against Belgium in Seattle. That is a brutal turn for a team that needs its only elite goal-scorer against a Belgium squad that looked shaky in group play but just pulled off a wild comeback against Senegal to advance.

The defense held, but the questions start now

Credit where it is due. Even shorthanded, the U.S. locked things down. Bosnia never really threatened after the red card. Then Malik Tillman put a dagger in the 82nd minute with a beautiful free kick that curled over the wall and inside the far post. Game over.

Still, losing your No. 9 for the knockout rounds against a team like Belgium is not ideal. The U.S. will likely lean on a more defensive setup — maybe a 4-4-1 or a 5-4-1 — and hope to nick something on a set piece or a counter. Belgium has talent but has looked disjointed all tournament. They are beatable. But the margin for error just got real thin.

Fans online — and a few analysts on postgame shows — pointed out that Balogun’s red card felt harsh. The federation has not announced an appeal yet, but you have to figure they are looking at it. Whether FIFA even considers it is another story.

For now, the USMNT moves on. Balogun will be watching from the stands in Seattle. And the silencer celebration will have to wait for another game.