U.S. forward receives one-match ban after red card

United States men's national team forward Folarin Balogun said he has experienced an emotional roller coaster since receiving a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday. Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute for a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic after opening the scoring in the 45th minute. The team held on for the win and added a second goal in the 82nd minute.

Suspension details The team learned on Friday that Balogun will serve a one-match suspension. He will be ineligible for the round-of-16 match against Belgium but would be available for the quarterfinals if the team advances. Balogun told reporters he believes a yellow card would have been the appropriate sanction and that the decision lacked context because the players were competing for position.

Player reaction "There's been lots of different emotions," Balogun said. "It's been surreal, to be honest. But for me, I think it was just important to stay calm." He added that he intends to support teammates and keep morale high during preparations for the Belgium match. Balogun said he has not spoken with possible replacements and wants to avoid adding pressure on anyone.