Santa Clara [US], July 2 (ANI): US and Monaco striker Folarin Balogun had a mixed bag night during his side’s round of 32 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. While he scored a goal, he also joined an unwanted list of players to have scored a goal and been sent off in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.
Balogun continued to be an absolute gun player for his side, netting his third goal of the tournament, joining Bert Patenaude (4 in 1930) and Landon Donovan (3 in 2010) as the third USA player to score three or more goals in a single edition, as per Opta Analyst.
However, he also became the fourth player after Zinedine Zidane (2006 final), Ronaldinho (2002 quarter-final) and Garrincha (1962 semi-final) to have scored a goal and been sent off during a FIFA World Cup knockout match.
This was also the USA’s third win in this year’s tournament, marking the most they have won in a single edition, as per Opta Analyst.
Now, as per FIFA’s mandate, after receiving a red card, he will miss one match due to suspension, the clash against Belgium for a slot in the quarter-finals, scheduled for July 7, 5:30 am IST.
Starting off, Bosnia forced a corner but could not make the most of the opportunity. The USA created some early chances courtesy of Christian Pulisic and Flo Balogun.
Bosnia’s attempt in the 8th minute was punched away. In the 31st minute, a goal from Balogun was turned away for offside.
In the 45th minute, the crowd came alive for Balogun, who finally got the fruits of his hard work after being an absolute livewire on the pitch, receiving the ball from Sergino Dest, which took a nick off Muharemovic, but he wasted no time in driving it past goalie Nikola Vasilj. With this, he registered the third goal of his tournament debut, becoming the second USA player to score three goals in a WC.
Moments later, another hit from Balogun hit the bar, with the scoreline 1-0 in the US’s favour. With over 62 per cent ball possession, five shots and 19 touches in the opposition box, the USA were dominating with their fast gameplay and ability to consistently make inroads into Bosnia’s defence. 14 of these touches were recorded by Balogun himself.
After the break, Bosnia made three subs, with Dzeko down while attempting to press, clutching his quad.
Bosnia got some possession in the starting minutes of the second half, but a Katic attempt from 40 yards turned out to be a waste. In the 61st minute, Balogun and Muharemovic had a nasty tangle, causing the Bosnian to go down with a whack to his ankle. The American hero was shown a red card for his nasty challenge and sent off, while Muharemovic was back on his feet.
In the 82nd minute, Malik Tillman added another goal to the USA’s tally, and the scoreline was undisturbed till the final whistle. (ANI)
Related reading
