The USMNT got the news they wanted. Folarin Balogun will play against Belgium in the Round of 16. His red card from the Bosnia game was upheld by FIFA, but the one-game suspension was postponed. He serves it after the World Cup. That is the rule. That is what happened.
It is also what has Alexi Lalas feeling a certain way. The former USMNT defender and current loudmouth analyst sees this as a turning point. Not just for the team, but for how the world sees them.
“I think it was surprising but a welcome move that he has had his red card suspended in terms of the suspension that is happening,” Lalas said on his podcast. “As has happened before with famous players like Cristiano Ronaldo before this World Cup. We get a player who has arguably been our best player in this World Cup.”
He is not wrong. Balogun has been the guy up top. The guy scoring goals. The guy making this offense go. Losing him for a knockout game against Belgium would have been brutal. Now the USMNT gets him back. And Lalas thinks that comes with a cost.
The Villain Narrative Is Real
Lalas basically said the sympathy vote is gone. The neutral fans who liked the underdog story? Done. “Whatever type of affinity or support that exists out there when it comes to this US Men’s national team just went out the window,” he said. “Because the reality is a lot of people are going to see this as the US being gifted something. Now, if you have a problem with the rules or regulations, this is going to be a kind of change here that it is going to be the US, against the world. And that is okay, bring it on.”
That is a pretty bold stance. It assumes the rest of the world was rooting for the USMNT in the first place. And maybe some were. The team has been a fun story. Young players. Big moments. A red card controversy that got overturned on appeal. That kind of thing usually makes people roll their eyes, not cheer.
But Lalas seems to welcome the shift. He wants the us-against-the-world energy. He wants the team to play angry. And honestly, that might not be the worst strategy against a team like Belgium.
Belgium Is Still the Problem
None of this matters if the USMNT does not actually beat Belgium. Belgium is the more talented team. The more experienced team. The team that has been knocking on the door of a World Cup title for years. The USMNT has been a nice story, but stories end in the Round of 16 all the time.
Balogun being available changes things, though. He gives them a real threat. A guy who can hold the ball up, run in behind, and finish. He makes Belgium have to prepare differently. He makes the gameplan shift.
And if the USMNT wins? Lalas will probably have a lot more to say. Something about redemption. Something about proving everyone wrong. Something about the world versus America. He will not shut up about it. And honestly, that is kind of the point.
Leave a Comment