In the World Cup Round of 32, a ten-man USA defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0. Folarin Balogun was sent off after scoring due to a stamp on an opponent's ankle and will be suspended for the Round of 16. The decision has sparked heated debates, leading The Telegraph's renowned journalist James Ducker to write an article questioning: “One rule for Messi, another for everyone else?”
Telegraph Article:
One rule for Messi, another for everyone else? Balogun's controversial red card as USA reach last 16
A poor VAR decision overshadowed an excellent victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, leaving the star forward suspended for the next round.
So, there is indeed one rule that applies to Lionel Messi and another for the rest of them. The good news for the USA is that they progressed to the round of 16 following a highly professional performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it was thoroughly deserved.
The bad news for Mauricio Pochettino and the host nation is that on July 7, they will face Belgium in Seattle without Folarin Balogun, owing to his highly controversial red card.
Balogun became the first player to both score and be sent off in a World Cup knockout match since Zinedine Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final.
Zidane had nothing to say about his dismissal. Balogun has plenty to say about his red card, particularly when viewed against the backdrop of what happened (or didn't happen) to Messi earlier in the tournament.
During Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City on June 17, Messi brought his left studs scraping down on Aïssa Mandi's right Achilles tendon, but Messi escaped any punishment and went on to score a hat-trick in that match. At best, it was a highly clumsy action; at worst, Messi knew exactly what he was doing at the time. The immediate look of concern that followed on Messi's face already spoke volumes.
How, then, do we reconcile that with Balogun's red card in the 64th minute? In that challenge, his studs also ended up scraping down on Tarik Muharemović's right ankle, but it looked entirely like the unintentional consequence of two sets of legs becoming entangled during a collision. Aside from the infuriating inconsistency in refereeing and VAR intervention, this incident raises fresh questions about the insistence on using slow-motion replays to review such events. Under slow motion, Balogun’s action certainly looked far worse than it actually was, and therein lies the problem: if you alter the speed at which you evaluate, you are effectively analyzing a different action.
Balogun had his eyes firmly fixed on the ball while contesting possession with Muharemović, and then at the moment of their collision, Balogun lost his balance, their bodies partially entangling, leaving Balogun entirely unaware of where his right leg was during the process.
The impact caused to Muharemović was unfortunate and unpleasant, but it was neither reckless nor intentional. The resulting red card felt extremely harsh and will now deprive Pochettino of a key player for the clash against Belgium.
An appeal against a red card decision can only be lodged in cases involving "mistaken identity" or if a player faces a multi-match suspension.
