Pochettino Disputes Balogan Red Card After US Beats Bosnia
US coach Pochettino disputed star striker Balogan's red card in the 64th minute, calling it accidental contact rather than a deliberate offense, though the team won 2-0 against Bosnia to advance to the Round of 16.
US national team coach Mauricio Pochettino disagreed with Florian Balogan receiving a red card, even after the team's victory over Bosnia in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 match.
Playing as co-hosts, the United States finished with 10 players after Balogan, their star striker, was sent off in the 64th minute. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the team won 2-0 and advanced to the Round of 16 to face Belgium on July 7.
After the match, Pochettino expressed his disagreement with Balogan's dismissal. "After watching the replay on television, there was no intention to step on the player at all. It's just something that happens accidentally in football," he said.
"This wasn't a red card at all. Looking at the television footage, there was never any intention to step on the player. That's normal play in football. It happened by accident and was never deliberate. That's why, for me, it wasn't a red card."
The 54-year-old head coach also addressed the Bosnia victory, saying: "We have no excuse not to beat Bosnia, whether we got a red card or not. We should have won this match anyway. And that's exactly what we did."
