Dirk Nowitzki does not usually wade into soccer refereeing debates. But Wednesday night, the basketball Hall of Famer saw something that made him grab his phone.
The USMNT beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the World Cup Round of 32, their first knockout-stage win over a European team since they stunned Portugal back in 2002. That part was great. The part that had everyone talking? The red card shown to Folarin Balogun in the 60th minute.
Balogun went up for a challenge, his foot coming down on a defender’s leg. It looked incidental — not malicious, not reckless, just a guy trying to win a ball. The referee initially gave a yellow card. Then VAR got involved. After a long look at the monitor, the official upgraded it to a red.
Nowitzki, who grew up playing and watching soccer in Germany, had a quick reaction on social media.
“That’s not a red!!! 🤦♂️,” he posted.
He’s not alone in that take. Plenty of fans and analysts thought the call was harsh. Balogun will now miss the Round of 16 match against Belgium on July 6. That’s a big loss for a U.S. team that has relied on his finishing all tournament.
What the USMNT loses without Balogun
Balogun had three goals in the World Cup going into that Bosnia game. Two of them came in the group opener against Paraguay. He scored the opener against Bosnia right before halftime, a smart finish that gave the U.S. the lead. He’s been the guy they look for in the box.
Without him, the U.S. still has options. Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright are both capable strikers. Pepi has looked sharp in limited minutes. Wright offers a different kind of physical presence up top. It’s not ideal losing your starter, but the depth is there.
The USMNT has been solid so far — three wins, one loss, 10 goals scored, three conceded. They’ve been efficient at home. But Belgium in the Round of 16 is a different test. That 2014 World Cup rematch brings back memories of a gutting loss, and now they’ll have to face it without their hottest scorer.
Whether the red card was fair or not doesn’t matter now. The U.S. has to adjust. The game is set for July 6 at 8 p.m. ET.
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