Folarin Balogun will play in the round of 16 after all.
The American star will have his one-game red-card ban suspended, Dan Sheldon and Adam Crafton of The Athletic reported and U.S. Soccer later confirmed Sunday.
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“We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow,” the federation said in a statement. “Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans.”
Balogun was sent off in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic, which is typically an automatic one-game suspension under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the tournament.
Now, despite the fact that the team could not appeal a red card or suspension, Balogun will be available for the Monday round of 16 game against Belgium.
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Balogun was not given a red card initially for the incident, but was sent off upon a review with the referee saying he had committed a “serious foul.” On the play, he inadvertently landed on the back of Muharemovic’s leg and stepped down on his ankle.
Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code states that “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
Balogun leads the U.S. with three goals in the World Cup, including one in the round of 32 before his red card. He’s the only player on the team with more than one goal so far in the tournament.
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