Folarin Balogun happens to be an American. Her Nigerian mother, seven months pregnant, was in New York when the airline that was supposed to fly her home to England refused to accommodate her on the plane because of her condition. Little Folarin was born in the USA, where he lived for only a few weeks before his parents returned to London, where he trained with Arsenal.
Published yesterday at 23:21.
Balogun is precisely the type of American that Donald Trump sought to strip of citizenship in his controversial order restricting the rights of children born to temporary residents, which was overturned last week by the US Supreme Court.
The ultimate irony is that the American president personally petitioned the FIFA president to allow Folarin Balogun to play in the round of 16 for the United States against Belgium on Monday night in Seattle. A match in which the Americans were humiliated by the Belgians with a score of 4:1.
PHOTO BY BLAKE DALIN, IMAGN IMAGES, COURTESY OF REUTERS
Belgian football players celebrate their victory.
Folarin Balogun, who had little influence on the course of the match, was brought to the start by USA coach Argentinean Mauricio Pochettino. Until Sunday, however, there was no doubt that the brilliant Monaco striker, the American team’s leading scorer at this World Cup, would play at least one minute against the Red Devils.
You know the absurd story reported on Monday by my colleague Alexander Pratt. Last Wednesday, Balogun was sent off after receiving a red card for landing on the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic in the round of 16. The referee, who did not initially sanction Balogun, was asked by VAR to review the controversial action.
The red card was harsh. I would even dare to say that it was undeserved. But it doesn’t matter much. The only difference is that a few hours later, the President of the United States thought it wise to intervene in the organization of a match in the most prestigious competition in sports, which he did not know was starting.
Trump called his good friend Gianni Infantino – the world prize giver, by the way – and complained about the automatic suspension of the match in Balogun. By his own admission at Monday’s briefing, Trump had just learned what a red card meant.
On Sunday, FIFA decided to suspend the decision of its referee Raphael Klaus, granting Balogun a one-year reprieve with a probationary period. The Belgian federation lodged a protest, but its appeal against the absurd decision was rejected by FIFA on Monday. Its rival UEFA, which oversees European football, said FIFA had “crossed a red line” with the “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision, which jeopardizes the “integrity of the game.”
Gianni Infantino, who was in Seattle to see the Americans put in their place, defended himself by saying that the FIFA disciplinary bodies that made the sad decision were independent, while admitting that he had spoken to Donald Trump. In short, it’s just a coincidence…
PHOTO BY MANU FERNANDEZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Folarin Balogun (right) shoots at goal.
Trump, for his part, did what he does best: brought it all back, congratulating himself on being responsible for the amazing turnaround and sending thinly veiled threats to the Brazilian referee for the match against Bosnia. What he laughs madly about, as usual, is how much his intervention and this disgraceful decision by FIFA discredits the World Cup to which he took credit for all the success.
In one phone call (though there appears to have been more than one), Trump and Infantino fueled numerous conspiracy theories, exposed FIFA’s history of corruption and exacerbated already vibrant anti-American sentiment.
The World Cup brings together all football fans, as well as many others who are only interested in it once every four years. Many spectators, avid or not, must have turned into Belgian supporters on Monday. And they got what they paid for. Even those who paid thousands of dollars to be there.
The Red Devils dominated from start to finish. Youri Tielemans squandered a golden opportunity early on less than meters from goal before Charles De Ketelare scored on similar play in the top corner.e minute. We still wonder what the American defenders were doing other than dreaming about what they would do during the next weeks of vacation.
PHOTO BY MADDIE GRASSI, ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Charles De Ketelaar celebrates his goal.
The Americans, who barely touched the ball in the first half hour, scored from Malik Tillman’s free kick, which took advantage of the wall, after a fairly light foul on Balogun. The Belgians responded immediately to De Ketelare, who headed in Leandro Trossard’s cross less than two minutes later.
The American defenders slept on gasoline again. Just like their goalkeeper Matt Freeze, who froze in the 57th instead of clearing the ball.e minute, offering a gift goal to Hans Vanaken. B 93e One minute later, Romelo Lukaku took advantage of another American defensive mistake and scored his 93rd goal.e scored in 131 international matches. The story does not say whether he is a follower of numerology.
A friend and former boss wrote to me that we should believe in cosmic justice. I don’t believe in karma, but I’m willing to make an exception this time. The Americans, already considered world champions by many of their supporters (“experts” like Donald Trump), are eliminated. Don’t believe the hypesung by Public Enemy. The inflated American dream deflated like a balloon. The question we can’t help but ask is: is this what it’s all about?