U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun shared why he approached the Belgium manager after his participation in a round of 16 World Cup match created a firestorm of controversy.
The forward spoke on TODAY July 14 about a brief moment he shared with Belgium’s Rudi Garcia after Team USA’s 4-1 loss, which marked its elimination from the quadrennial tournament.
Balogun had received a red card during Team USA’s prior matchup, suspending him from playing against Belgium. But the day before the game, FIFA announced it would suspend his red card ban for a year-long probationary period. Belgium’s soccer federation criticized the ruling and said it goes against the association’s disciplinary code and the tournament’s regulations.
Balogun said it was “important to have that conversation” with Belgium’s manager after the game.
“I know Rudi Garcia, the Belgium manager, so for me it was natural to just go and speak to him,” Balogun told Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly. “Amid the controversy as well, I think it was just important to have that conversation and just to wish Belgium good luck for their upcoming game. As I said, it was a very unfortunate, difficult situation for myself, but I just wanted to continue to do the right thing.”
Garcia had kind words for Balogun in the postgame press conference.
“He came to talk to me,” Garcia said in Dutch. “I really liked that. It is not his fault. He is not the one to blame — that’s what I told him. I really appreciate the intention that he came to see me. I appreciate this player.”
Balogun, 25, had been given a controversial red card by an official for a play in which he stepped on an opposing player’s ankle during the U.S. team’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1. By rule, it meant he was supposed to sit out against Belgium with a one-game suspension, which was a particularly tough blow for the U.S. because Balogun led the team with three goals in World Cup play.
However, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, an independent judicial body that reviews plays it believes deserve a closer look, reviewed Balogun’s foul and decided on July 5 to suspend the suspension for a probationary period of one year.
A day after FIFA’s decision, President Donald Trump revealed to reporters that he had previously called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked him to review Falogun’s suspension. FIFA has not said whether Trump’s call played any role in the decision to allow him to play.
Belgium made Balogun’s participation a moot point by dispatching of the U.S. in lopsided fashion, scoring three unanswered goals to snap a 1-1 tie and advance. Belgium lost 2-1 to Spain in the quarterfinals on July 10 to end its World Cup run.
Balogun was asked on TODAY if all the controversy surrounding his eligibility for the game played a role in Team USA’s deflating performance.
“It didn’t help,” he said. “As an athlete, you want to go into a game that’s already difficult enough with everything that goes on, the pressure. So to have more pressure, not just internally, from almost the whole footballing world was difficult, but it’s not an excuse. We were disappointed with the way it ended, but as I said, there’s still a lot to be proud of.”
The U.S. came up one game short of its deepest World Cup run since 2002 but captivated the nation with wins over Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. More than 33 million people tuned in to watch the game against Belgium on Fox, the most in history for a U.S. men’s soccer game.
“It was a special journey,” Balogun said. “We were able to unite the whole country, something I’ve very proud of. I’m just happy to be back here in the States and just enjoying everything.”
It’s been quite a journey for Balogun, who was born in Brooklyn, but grew up in London. He chose to play for the United States after having the option of playing for the national teams of England, the United States or Nigeria, due to his parents’ ancestry. England is still in the hunt for the World Cup title and plays Argentina on July 15 in the semifinals, but Balogun has no regrets about choosing Team USA.
“It’s a no-brainer,” he said. “The culture, the passion, the ambition, it really resonates with me. I think it’s a decision I’m very, very proud, and I think you saw in the World Cup it was definitely the right decision.”
Balogun enjoyed playing in front of capacity crowds at venues around the U.S.
“It was crazy,” he said. “It was difficult to put into words. I didn’t know soccer was such a big thing here, and I think a lot of people didn’t know that, but as you saw in the World Cup, the whole country was united, and that was amazing.”
Even though the U.S. fell short of its goal of reaching at least the quarterfinals, Balogun believes there is momentum for the continued growth of men’s soccer in America.
“I think now’s the time to be optimistic,” he said. “I think you saw we were able to really, really capture so many people. There will be so many people who will have tuned in for the first time. For that to be their experience in the World Cup, I think it was a good showing. But most important I think for me is to create the awareness and to create just the expectation. The fans expected big things for us, and we want to continue to give them hope.”
Source: TODAY
