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John Harkes, a personnel of nan 1994 USMNT World Cup squad, was astatine Levi's Stadium connected Wednesday nighttime and had nan aforesaid guidance arsenic conscionable astir everybody erstwhile Folarin Balogun had to time off nan game.
"We kept going, 'Wait a minute, that's not a reddish card,'" Harkes said of his guidance successful an question and reply pinch Fox News Digital.
"You know, we're successful nan stadium, and correct distant I deliberation I was opinionated location adjacent to my daughter-in-law and our grandson, and past my boy and my wife. Both my boy and my wife, Cindy and Ian, turned and said, 'That's not a reddish card.' And I'm like, 'Oh my God,'" he said. "I don't deliberation it was a reddish paper astatine all, to beryllium honorable pinch you."
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Bosnia's Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States' Folarin Balogun aft Balogun was sent off, arsenic Christian Pulisic (10) watches during nan World Cup information of 32 lucifer betwixt nan United States and Bosnia successful Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)
With Balogun's absence, nan USMNT had to play pinch 10 men for nan remainder of nan game. However, a reddish paper results successful an automatic suspension for nan adjacent game, meaning that 1 charismatic tin change aggregate games pinch conscionable 1 decision, moreover if it is, arsenic Harkes put it, a "50/50" play.
Harkes was "a victim" of thing akin successful 1994, nan past clip nan United States hosted nan World Cup anterior to this year. He earned yellowish cards successful nan first and 3rd games, prompting a suspension for nan United States' July 4 crippled against Brazil.
"It crushed me. I kept reasoning to myself, this is nan champion successful nan world coming together, and you're going to make a subordinate beryllium retired nan adjacent crippled because of yellowish paper accumulation?" Harkes said.
USA's John Harkes (6) successful action vs Switzerland's Marc Hottiger (2) during a Group Stage A lucifer astatine Pontiac Silverdome. Pontiac, Michigan. (John Biever/Getty Images)
FIFA RULES LEAVE TEAM USA NO RECOURSE AFTER FOLARIN BALOGUN'S CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD
Soccer surely is not baseball, wherever nan rules are ever-changing. But if location was one, Harkes would for illustration to spot reddish cards from 1 crippled not impact immoderate others.
"That's measurement supra my salary grade, but astatine nan aforesaid time, truthful galore group talk it connected a accordant basis. So let's really return a look astatine this and see: Does it make sense? I don't deliberation it does. Not successful a tourney format. I don't deliberation so," he said.
Unfortunately for nan U.S., location is thing anyone tin do. Article 9.6 of nan 2026 World Cup regulations reads, "No protests whitethorn beryllium made astir nan referee’s decisions regarding facts connected pinch play. Such decisions are last and not taxable to appeal, unless different stipulated successful nan FIFA Disciplinary Code."
"If a subordinate aliases squad charismatic is sent disconnected arsenic a consequence of a nonstop aliases indirect reddish paper (second caution), they will automatically beryllium suspended from their team’s consequent match," Article 10.5 states.
Folarin Balogun of nan United States is shown a reddish paper by Referee Raphael Claus during nan FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 lucifer betwixt nan USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina astatine San Francisco Bay Area Stadium connected July 1, 2026, successful Santa Clara, California. (Getty Images)
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Despite it not looking for illustration Balogun had immoderate sick intent, nan United States will person nary prime but to find a replacement for personification who has astir apt been its champion subordinate successful what is now possibly nan astir important crippled successful U.S. shot history connected Monday night.
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