{"id":3497,"date":"2026-07-02T13:09:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3497"},"modified":"2026-07-02T13:09:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:09:27","slug":"var-inconsistencies-questioned-after-controversial-folarin-balogun-red-card-in-usmnt-world-cup-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3497","title":{"rendered":"VAR inconsistencies questioned after controversial Folarin Balogun red card in USMNT World Cup win"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Video review doesn\u2019t always improve sports.<\/p>\n

Former US Men\u2019s National Team forward Herculez Gomez \u2014 and many others \u2014 called out the \u201cinconsistent\u201d Video Assistant Referee (VAR) that resulted in a controversial red card for USA star Folarin Balogun that knocked him out of Wednesday\u2019s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Read more Josh Hart\u2019s five words say it all after Celtics stunningly trade Jaylen Brown to 76ers<\/a><\/p>\n

The referees used VAR to determine that Balogun stepped on the back of an opponent\u2019s leg and gave the USMNT star a red card, which will sideline him for next Monday\u2019s Round of 16 clash with Belgium.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the circumstantial action, you put it into slow motion, you put it into freeze frame, you take it into VAR, and it looks terrible. It looks like he comes across the Achilles tendon of his opponent and it\u2019s an easy red to dissect,\u201d Gomez said Wednesday night on ESPN. \u201cThe problem here is that VAR is so inconsistent, FIFA is so inconsistent. What\u2019s good for the goose isn\u2019t good for the gander.\u201d<\/p>\n

The VAR-assisted red card could be one that has massive ramifications for the United States since Balogun is their leading scorer with three goals, including the first one Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

In the 61st minute of the Round of 32 clash, with the Americans leading 1-0 on his goal, Balogun stepped on the back of Tarik Muharemovic\u2019s leg and the play was challenged.<\/p>\n

The referees used VAR to look at the play, where clear contact was made, and Balogun ultimately earned a red card that forced Team USA to play a man down for the remainder of the game.<\/p>\n

Every match of the FIFA World Cup will air on either FOX or FOX Sports 1. If you don\u2019t have cable, you can take advantage of a DIRECTV free trial to stream it all.<\/p>\n

Read more Baby found dead at Electric Forest music festival porta-potty was born alive: reports<\/a><\/p>\n

Prefer to check out the action live and in person? Shop World Cup 2026 tickets on SeatGeek and make sure to use promo code NYPOST10<\/strong> for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout if you\u2019re a first-time SeatGeek user.<\/p>\n

Team USA coach Mauricio Pochettino did not like the call, saying it was \u201cnever a red card,\u201d and both he and Gomez referenced a similar play earlier in the tournament by Argentina star Lionel Messi.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Messi landed on an Algerian foe in a similar manner, but did not receive a yellow nor red card in what The Athletic labeled as \u201clenient refereeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c(Lionel) Messi does this \u2014 and it\u2019s low-hanging fruit, Messi\u2019s one of a few players that have done this action and it doesn\u2019t get called,\u201d Gomez said. \u201cIt\u2019s not even a foul, there\u2019s no card. Folarin Balogun does this, it gets reviewed, and when you put it under review, you slow it down, when you go picture by picture, obviously there\u2019s contact. He comes across the Achilles and you\u2019re going to red card him. The problem isn\u2019t that this is a red card. It\u2019s that it\u2019s so inconsistent that it leaves fans and us pundits frustrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you not call that one and call this one? How can you not impact that play, that person, and impact this play, this person? That\u2019s what would frustrate me if I were playing in the VAR era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Britain is answering Trump\u2019s call \u2014 and spending big on defense<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) led to a controversial red card for USA star Folarin Balogun in a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-world-cup-2026"],"yoast_head":"\nVAR inconsistencies questioned after controversial Folarin Balogun red card in USMNT World Cup win - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3497\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VAR inconsistencies questioned after controversial Folarin Balogun red card in USMNT World Cup win - 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