According to a report by NBC on July 5th, FIFA announced that American player Furlan Balongon, who was sent off with a red card during the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, would be banned for one match, but this ban will be postponed by one year. This means that the top scorer for the American team will be able to participate in the World Cup quarter-final match against Belgium.
On July 2th, Beijing time, in the semifinal match between the U.S. team and Bosnia and Herzegovina team, Barlogon was sent off with a red card for stepping on the ankle of their opponent, Tarik Muharremović. According to rules, Barlogon will be automatically suspended and unable to participate in the team's next match.
This decision was made after the intervention of the video assistant referee, which has caused some controversy. American coach Pochettino said that this penalty “should not have been a red card at all.” U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo also lamented after the game: “They were messed up by that red card. We should have appealed for it. But it’s probably too late now.”
However, FIFA announced on the 5th that "according to Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the suspension of the player will be postponed for one year, during which an investigation will take place. If Fowlie-Ballong commits another violation of similar nature and severity during this period, then this postponement decision will be revoked, and the original penalty will be enforced, without affecting any additional penalties that may be imposed for the new violation."
This means that Balong will be able to play in the World Cup quarter-final match between the United States and Belgium. This match will take place on July 7th, Beijing time.
American team forward Flavian Barrogon IC photo
Barrogon is a key player for the United States team. In the group stage match against Paraguay, Barrogon scored two goals, helping the United States win 4-1. In the round of 16 match against Bosnia, Barrogon scored a goal in the 45th minute, helping the United States advance with a 2-0 victory. So far, he has scored three goals during this World Cup, becoming the leading scorer for the United States team.
As the host team, the United States is striving to reach the quarterfinals again after the 2002 World Cup. Therefore, it is of great significance for Barlogon to participate in the next match against the United States.
The United States Football Federation welcomed FIFA's decision. In a statement, the federation said, "We are glad to see that Baloteng can participate in the team's next match." American forward Christian Pulisic revealed that the team learned of this news on the way to the training ground, and Baloteng was "very happy" about it.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised on social media: "Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing this huge injustice!" NBC reported that Trump called FIFA President Infantino last week, asking him to reconsider the penalty imposed on Balotello. FIFA has not stated whether this call had any impact on the decision.
The United States' opponent, Belgium, was “shocked” by FIFA’s announcement. The Belgian Football Federation believes that all other red cards during this World Cup automatically result in suspensions, and FIFA’s latest decision “directly violates” the rules of the game.
The Belgian Football Association stated in its statement: "In order to protect the legal rights of all participating teams and to uphold the principles of fair competition for this FIFA World Cup and future events, the Belgian Football Association will investigate all possible options."
NBC pointed out that there has been a precedent for delaying the suspension. Last November, during a World Cup qualifier between Portugal and Ireland, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing an opponent, and after the match, he was suspended by FIFA for three matches. However, Ronaldo only received one match suspension, and the other two matches were postponed for one year.
