Folarin Balogun Won’t Play Against Belgium. Here’s How He Handled the Red Card That Took Him Out.

The USMNT is heading into a Round of 16 matchup against Belgium without its star striker. Folarin Balogun scored the opener in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, but he won’t be on the pitch for the knockout game. That’s because he got a red card in the second half that the team still thinks was questionable.

The ban was upheld Friday when the USMNT got official word Balogun is suspended. So the front line against Belgium will look different, and that’s a real problem for a team that relies on his finishing.

The play that got him tossed

Balogun and a Bosnia defender went up for a 50-50 ball near midfield. Coming down, Balogun’s studs caught the guy’s heel. In real time it looked like two guys fighting for the same ball. Slow motion made it look brutal. The referee, Raphael Claus from Brazil, didn’t hesitate. Out came the red.

The USMNT argued it was just a battle for possession. Didn’t matter. The call stood. And the appeal went nowhere.

Balogun kept his cool

Most guys would be furious. Balogun didn’t go that route. He said staying calm was the priority right after the card came out.

“I think it was just important to stay calm,” Balogun said, according to Yahoo Sports. “I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion. There’s still lots of people we’re inspiring, little kids, boys and girls who are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it’s unjust.”

That’s a pretty mature take for a guy who just got knocked out of a huge game by a call he didn’t agree with.

He shook the referee’s hand after the game

This is where it gets interesting. Balogun went up to Claus after the final whistle and shook his hand. He said he always does that, regardless of how the game went. Even after getting sent off for a play he thought was clean, he stuck with the routine.

Balogun explained he thanks the referee for his work every match. This time was no different, even though that same referee had just ended his night early.

The USMNT now has to figure out who leads the attack against Belgium with their top scorer watching from the stands. That’s a big hole to fill in a knockout game.