FIFA has suspended the one-match ban issued to U.S. Men’s National Team striker Folarin Balogun, making the team’s leading scorer available for Monday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium. The decision comes just days after Balogun was penalized with a straight red card during Wednesday’s 2-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina following a video assistant referee review of an accidental second-half collision with defender Tarik Muharemović. Under tournament rules, the dismissal carries an automatic one-match suspension that initially could not be appealed. However, FIFA said the suspension’s implementation has been deferred under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, placing Balogun on a one-year probationary period instead of requiring him to miss the knockout match. The governing body stated, “The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.” It added that if Balogun commits another offense of similar nature and severity during that period, the suspension will automatically be reinstated in addition to any new disciplinary action. The ruling represents a dramatic reversal after U.S. Soccer had been informed there was no formal avenue to appeal the automatic suspension. Balogun’s dismissal sparked widespread debate, with many observers, including U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino,…
Source: LV Sports
